From Leogaming to the iBox Bank case: what is known about the investigation into Alyona Shevtsova and the role of her husband’s law enforcement status

22 March 2026 , 09:54

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Today Alyona Shevtsova-Dehrik is not just an entrepreneur but a figure in high-profile financial investigations surrounding the banking sector and payment business.

Her name is linked to the liquidation of iBox Bank, suspicions of large-scale money laundering through the gambling market, and the transfer of billions of hryvnias — cases in which investigative actions and court proceedings are ongoing. However, the rapid growth of her financial empire began long before these events, during the period when her husband Yevhen Shevtsov was building a career in law enforcement and seeking positions in the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI). It was then that scandals emerged around the family, including alleged “scrubbing” of compromising information and pressure on the media.

Below is an archival account of how the assets and influence of the Shevtsov–Dehrik family were formed and what role the husband’s law enforcement status played in protecting and advancing the business.

Not long ago, events occurred in the Ukrainian media space that had something of the effect of a bomb suddenly going off. The impact was felt first and foremost by many online outlets, whose websites were subjected to prolonged and powerful DDoS attacks. Within a narrow circle of site owners and administrators, most concluded that the attacks were initiated by individuals connected to the entourage of businesswoman Alyona Dehrik (Shevtsova), allegedly in connection with the potential appointment of her husband, Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shevtsov, to the SBI, journalist Serhii Kuzin writes.

At the same time, some outlets reported that the Dehrik–Shevtsov couple had spent about $200,000 on building a positive image and “cleaning” compromising materials from the internet. Meanwhile, numerous platforms were hit by mass DDoS attacks.

In this context, it is not entirely clear what the organizers hoped to achieve. DDoS attacks are costly and legally risky, punishable under criminal law. Those who carry them out must therefore possess either significant financial resources or administrative leverage to take down websites.

All these events coincided with the SBI competition involving Yevhen Shevtsov — previously little known as a law enforcement official. Notably, there was not even a photograph of this candidate online at the time, unlike his widely known wife Alyona Volodymyrivna Dehrik (later Shevtsova), whose activities raised many questions.

It is possible that measures to “clean” internet resources were taken precisely to avoid such questions — at least if the attacked site owners are to be believed. If the couple did take such steps to secure a bright career future for the head of the family, who was to fight corruption at the SBI, the logic would be obvious.

One problem for the family was that the company Leogaming, headed by Alyona Dehrik, had previously been involved in several scandals related to suspected money laundering. In December 2013, criminal case No. 32013110000000298 was opened against Dehrik A.V. and Shevtsov E.A. According to investigators, Alyona Volodymyrivna Dehrik and Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shevtsov, together with other persons, created a mechanism for legalizing illicit proceeds.

This case has been repeatedly closed and reopened over the years, which helps explain why the couple might have been concerned about Shevtsov’s smooth appointment.

Representatives of public organizations accusing the family of fictitious entrepreneurship, money laundering, and tax evasion claim that the “neutralization” of this case was made possible by two officials: senior investigator Hennadii Stryzh of the Kyiv tax service’s main department and first deputy head Ihor Skorokhod. The latter is known within the tax service as someone who remained in office after the flight of his former patron Oleksandr Klymenko and continued to advance his career.

Another influential figure who may have helped the accusations fade was NBU head Yakiv Smolii, who officially acknowledged acquaintance with Alyona Dehrik. In response to a parliamentary inquiry, Smolii personally signed a document stating that the NBU had no claims against her and saw no violations in her actions. The fact that Smolii’s daughter and Dehrik are related as godmothers attracted little attention.

Perhaps for this reason, Leogaming Pay received a state license in 2016 to transfer funds without opening accounts, while the “Leo” payment system itself was officially registered in January 2017. On paper, the system was presented as offering a wide range of services to the public, not just online gambling, which gave it a respectable appearance.

This raises the question: if everything in the activities of Alyona Dehrik and Yevhen Shevtsov was legitimate, why would there be campaigns of website attacks and mass replacement of negative media coverage with positive content — assuming, of course, they were involved? Yet someone from their circle clearly was, since the DDoS attacks coincided with the large-scale appearance of favorable materials, sometimes on sites that had just been attacked.

Supporters of the family (the author notes he does not claim that Dehrik and Shevtsov personally conducted these actions) appeared to act in haste, as the appointment process entered a critical phase.

Ultimately, all these efforts proved futile. SBI Director Roman Truba rejected all candidates approved by the commission — including Yevhen Oleksandrovych Shevtsov, who had been slated to head the First Department for the Organization of Pre-Trial Investigations of the State Bureau of Investigations.