A crypto fraudster allegedly connected to a $500 million scheme was discovered buried in the Dubai desert along with his spouse.
The remains of Roman Novak, 38, and his wife Anna, 37, were uncovered after they were supposedly enticed to a meeting with individuals pretending to be ‘investors’ at the Hatta mountain resort.
In the days leading up to his disappearance, Roman reportedly acquired a prized British AC Cobra car. A personal driver then transported the pair to a parking area near a lake.
Originally from Russia, the crypto entrepreneur and his wife, who resided in Dubai, are believed to have transferred to a different vehicle for the rest of the trip.
Roman and Anna were declared missing in early October following several days of no contact.
Their last known whereabouts were en route to the lake for a business meeting with the ‘unknown investor’.
According to authorities, Roman and Anna were imprisoned as captors demanded the password to Novak’s cryptocurrency wallet. Once access was gained, the perpetrators allegedly found the wallet empty.
The Russian news outlet Fontanka reported that the criminals subsequently killed the couple, dismembered their bodies, and dispersed the remains, even discarding some in trash bins at a shopping center.
Currently, it remains uncertain if any portions of the couple’s remains have been retrieved.
“According to preliminary information, Novak and his wife were kidnapped for ransom. When the criminals realized they wouldn’t get the money, they killed both of them,” a source close to Komsomolskaya Pravda disclosed.
Laws enforcers in Russia and the United Arab Emirates have joined forces to investigate the murder, and it was recently announced that three Russian nationals were apprehended after their return from Dubai in relation to the homicides.