Photos by Alexei Yablokov and Mikhail Suchkov

March 1, 2002

Our editorial team has learned that in the summer of 2001, Togliatti police detained a few men who allegedly were to become assassins and eliminate the entire leadership of the Neverov organized criminal group. Investigators believe that the person who ordered this crime is criminal boss Igor Sirotenko (Sirota [orphan]), well known in the city. When this investigation was no longer a secret, rumors started circulating around town about the beginning of a new full-fledged war between criminal groups.

We tried to look into the emerging situation. And, since law enforcement agencies flatly refused to talk to journalists, we turned for comments directly to representatives of the conflicting parties. We need to point out that the potential adversaries have totally different assessments of the emerging situation. Therefore we have tried to reflect all points of view in our publication.

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The Conman

Representatives of the Neverov group believe that frictions between them and the Sirotenko gang members started in a very remote past — mid-90s. Before that time the leaders of these groups and their subordinates maintained neutral/friendly relations.

It was Mikhail Kashin, an entrepreneur well known in Togliatti back in those days, director of the “Invest-capital” company, who caused the discord between the criminal bosses. Calling him an entrepreneur, though, is definitely an overstatement. He became famous in our city by pulling off a whole series of fraudulent operations which did damage to both the city budget and a number of commercial organizations fairly well known in Togliatti.

For example, Kashin was the organizer of and subcontractor in the construction of a multi-department children’s hospital in the Avtozavodsky district. At the time, the Savings Bank issued a 12 million dollar loan for this construction project guaranteed by the city budget. The money disappeared, while the pit on the site where the hospital was to be built is still “enjoyed” by the residents. The fraud Kashin pulled off with the VAZ automobile plant payments to the electrical power company has received far less coverage. To pay for the power it consumed, the automobile plant at the time issued promissory notes, which were to be turned into cash by mediating companies created by Kashin under the patronage of criminal boss Fogel (Foks), which would be used for payments to Samarenergo. However, the money never reached the power company. They were also getting promissory notes. Not the liquid securities issued by the VAZ plant though; the ones they received were of no value whatsoever. It is still a mystery how Kashin managed to foist those on the power company. The Togliatti Bank, which funded Kashin’s schemes with too much abandon, fell also largely due to the doings of this “merchant.”

In general, as a person enjoying considerable respect in certain circles of our city referred to Kashin in a conversation with the author of the present article, “Misha is as twisted as a piglet’s tail. A real con artist.”