Six Bulgarian nationals involved in a Russian spy ring coordinated by Wirecard’s former chief operating officer Jan Marsalek were sentenced in London to prison terms of up to ten years, Bloomberg reported on 12 May.
Marsalek, who disappeared in 2020 following the collapse of Wirecard, is accused of working with Russian intelligence and funding the group’s operations. Prosecutors presented evidence of “massive communication data” between Marsalek and Orlin Roussev, including thousands of Telegram messages and cryptocurrency payments allegedly sent by Marsalek.
Prison terms and guilty pleas
Orlin Roussev received the longest sentence—10 years and 8 months—for his leading role and for conducting “significant planning over a long period of time.” Roussev, 46, led the group and took direct instructions from Marsalek.
Two others, Bizer Dzhambazov and Ivan Iliev Stoyanov, pleaded guilty alongside Roussev to espionage-related charges. Dzhambazov received a sentence of about 10 years, while Stoyanov was given five years. The remaining three defendants received prison terms ranging from five to ten years.
Although not charged in the case, Marsalek was named as the primary handler and financier. Attempts to contact him were unsuccessful, according to Bloomberg.
Russian online recruitment of intel gatherers across Europe revealed by investigation
Targets included US military base and journalists
Investigators identified six separate espionage plots carried out by the group. These included:
- an operation targeting a US military base where Ukrainian soldiers were receiving training,
- surveillance against two investigative journalists,
- and a plan aimed at helping Russia strengthen its influence in Kazakhstan.
According to the judge, the defendants “were motivated by money,” and their actions were directed efforts to aid Russian state interests.
