High-Stakes Theft: Stefan11222 Loses $3M in Crypto (Full Story)
GipsyTeam
18 September, 14:2725 September, 12:533986
Millions in cryptocurrency are lost and an ex-girlfriend is accused. This tale of theft from a high-stakes poker pro has many twists and an un-guessable ending.
Everyone's active on social media these days, so watching feuds unfold in real-time is more common. For poker disputes, Twitter is usually the battleground, but skirmishes erupt on forums too.
Stefan Burakhov, known better as Stefan11222, has lost around $3 million dollars. As one of the most prominent figures in the high-stakes poker scene, you’re probably expecting to hear about a session full of cracked aces, set over set, and one-outers. However, Stefan’s multi-million dollar deficit didn’t stem from poker.
Stefan "Stefan11222" Burakhov
The saga started when Stefan wrote over a thousand words on our Russian GipsyTeam forum. He spoke about his mindstate as a poker player, God’s existence, and ancient global floods, but the highlight was a serious accusation. $3 million was gone, allegedly stolen by Stefan’s ex and her boyfriend.
“Unconscious self-sabotage in the game was not the only way to lose everything.
My ex-lover Alena Mironenko, in collusion with Maxim Shatilov, stole 3 million dollars from me 2 years ago. Of course, it's my own fault, how could I think of giving a girl my iPad with a photo of the seed phrase* on it.
*(Editors note: a seed phrase is a random word sequence that gives access to a crypto wallet)
Maxim Shatilov and Alena Mironenko
I don't hold a grudge against them, I learned from this experience what you can't buy for any money. I was tempted to give the go-ahead to my Italian friends from Bangkok so that they would return my money to me by their methods for only 10% of the reward. But I decided that I would not step on this path. Certainly not because of the money. And I don't want to take revenge, I feel gratitude to these people. They turned me into a monster and I learned to control this monster.
I will be even more grateful if they return me at least a couple of hundred as rakeback, this money would be very useful to me now to start a new stage in my career.”
Stefan dedicated less than 20% of his words to the lost funds, spending more time on reflection and philosophy. He also states that “God exists with a probability close to 100%” and gives his reasoning. Toward the end, he mentions renting a spacious house for streaming and scheduling a match with Linus Loeliger.
Click below for the translation of the full post from Stefan.
"I apologize for the long absence. I had a very intense month. Intensive in terms of work, development and realizations. For some reason, it seems to me that this was the most important month in my life. I really want to share this with you.
The first part will not be as interesting and surprising as the second. But it also deserves attention. Especially for me. I finally realized that I gradually became bad at the game. Which is not surprising, because I could not find fundamental reasons to be the best version of myself, I did not know why I should be a diligent student of a quality equilibrium strategy and even more so I did not have a commitment to show the best I can at the tables. Previously, I suspected, but now I have already realized for sure that I played badly in recent years, because subconsciously I sought to lose everything. Subconsciously, I did it as a trial iteration to understand the fundamental questions of life. Who am I and why am I here on this planet in this universe. This is exactly what the second part of the post will be about. Unconscious self-sabotage in the game was not the only way to lose everything. My ex-lover Alena Mironenko, in collusion with Maxim Shatilov, stole 3 million dollars from me 2 years ago. Of course, it's my own fault, how could I think of giving a girl my iPad with a photo of the seed phrase on it. I don't hold a grudge against them, I learned from this experience what you can't buy for any money. I was tempted to give the go-ahead to my Italian friends from Bangkok so that they would return my money to me by their methods for only 10% of the reward. But I decided that I would not step on this path. Certainly not because of the money. And I don't want to take revenge, I feel gratitude to these people. They turned me into a monster and I learned to control this monster. I will be even more grateful if they return me at least a couple of hundred as rakeback, this money would be very useful to me now to start a new stage in my career.
Returning to the question of what to do with the fact that I have forgotten how to play? One wise man said: pride is the main enemy of the player. I am not stupid, I will not argue. I humbly sit down at the notes and learn the balanced strategy. In general, I have a request to some GTO nerd who has a lot of readable, high-quality, balanced strategies, write to me, I will take the notes from you, in exchange I will give my thoughts and criticism where I see what needs to be improved or corrected.
Now let's talk about something really important. I've been thinking a lot about the quantum nature of reality and the quantum nature of human consciousness in particular. I've always wanted to understand how the Universe works and how the reality we all live in works. I won't beat around the bush. The insight I recently received, and I think it's the main insight in my life, is that God exists with a probability close to 100%. Logic led me to this. In general, I've been a hardened atheist all my life because I'm autistic, neuroatypical people need iron logic and evidence to agree with something. Random socially widespread beliefs don't "stick" to us autistics. As a child, I was quite satisfied with Darwin's theory because it was very logical and I didn't notice any contradictions. Although my family was religious, I always thought they were strange and not very smart people. But now I have much more information. Geologists have recorded that there was a global flood by analyzing soil in different parts of the planet, the exact date is still unknown, at least to me. The time range is 7500-11000 thousand years ago when it happened, correct me if anyone has studied this deeply. This flood was also described in all cultures and peoples in different parts of the planet, this cannot be a coincidence. I know that I don’t know a lot of things. But I have been putting puzzles together all my life to understand this world, this is my special interest. I have no doubts about quantum mechanics and string theory, and I also have no doubts about Darwin’s theory of evolution, they do not contradict each other. Once upon a time, an infinitely long time ago, everything that Darwin describes happened.
It all started with a random cluster of atoms that formed a molecule with the emergent property of self-replicating and using the external environment for its own development. After billions of years of evolution, this molecule would become God. The devil also emerged in the same way.
Let me share my understanding a little. Draw a parallel from today, at least a thousand years ahead. Can you imagine what Homo Sapiens we were like in that era? And a million years? Somewhere along the way, God was formed. Not as a single person, but as a race. A human race with unlimited possibilities. Man is God. Statistically, it is extremely unlikely that we have not gone this way before. You can call our world a simulation or God's creation, and both will be true. I have several assumptions about how everything works, but I have no doubt that there are higher powers in this simulation, hidden from us. There is a war between good and evil in the world. Between God and the devil. I analyze my entire life and understand that all the coincidences and accidents actually led me to where I am now. So many amazing coincidences. I graduated from the Faculty of Industrial and Civil Engineering at the University and ten years later, I met an architect, a great genius, my dearest friend and comrade Danila Solovyov with whom we opened a unique investment and construction company ICAREUM in Texas. The world has yet to know what a great person he is. This is just one example. I believe that God brought me together with other people. I will get tired of describing all the amazing coincidences in my life here. Let's leave it for later. I'll tell you about my immediate plans. We found ourselves a new headquarters. We rented an inexpensive but spacious house for half a year. We will make a studio there and will stream together with Danila. I will stream my work, and he will stream his. You will like it. I have a premonition that very interesting times are coming. Preparations for the match with Linus have begun."
Stefan Burakhov's ex-lover, whose name is Alena Mironenko, goes by the username “alohahaloha” on the forum. Stefan posted a curt review on her profile, asking for some of the cash back.
A translation of Stefan’s review for Alena
Two other negative reviews were posted within 48 hours. Out of 83 reviews, these are the only negative ones attributed to Alena’s profile. Her response came quickly.
Alena Shuts Down Accusations and Shows Screenshots
Less than a day after being accused of stealing 3 million dollars, Alena Mironenko brought her receipts to the forum. She opened with a firm denial of wrongdoing and showed multiple Telegram screenshots of her chats with Stefan.
“Hi all!
A very fascinating story, but my boyfriend and I have nothing to do with it.
I actually had a tablet with the seed phrase on it, and I know from Stefan that I wasn't the only one with access to the devices where this genius stored the seed phrase in his camera roll :)
In the message sent below, you can see that I *told him myself* that he had this seed phrase in his camera roll so that he would think to whom he gave his devices or access to them when he called me to complain that he was robbed.”
Translated screenshots from Alena's chat with Stefan11222
Alena’s full rebuttal and the Telegram screenshots painted a very different picture. She finished her post by citing Stefan’s drug use and reaffirmed that the entire situation was ridiculous.
“And considering that this person is constantly in a state of altered consciousness, then almost any person who is near him can have access to his devices.
We are not at all interested in participating in this circus, which was arranged by a cowardly drug addict who can’t even talk to Maxim, hangs up and, while high, talks incoherent nonsense, and then blocks him on Telegram.
Stefan, you are pathetic, I didn't expect you to stoop so low as to blame people for your problems without any reason.
If you have any common sense left, apologize to our family for your stupidity and try to understand the situation, get a detective involved, contact the police so that they can investigate, because throwing accusations at anyone without any facts will not give you your money back, it only makes you look like a pathetic windbag.
I have nothing to prove to you, I have never taken a single kopeck of someone else's money
and neither I nor Maxim have anything to do with the disappearance of your money. If anyone needs to prove something, it is you, why on earth are you denigrating the reputation of honest people with your vile language, relying only on your drug-addicted conjectures
And if you wanted to attract attention to your project in this way, then this is definitely the worst way to do it, by making a fool of yourself and showing how low you have fallen, hardly anyone will want to deal with you,
For those who are particularly interested in this topic, I have attached screenshots of messages sent to Stefan by me and Maxim, and if you are in any contact with him, then please convey to him that it is extremely unmanly to throw accusations at strangers and that the only thing that will help him save face is to immediately contact Maxim, our family is categorically not happy when some drug addicts write such nasty things about us and this is completely unacceptable.
I don't see any point in writing anything else in this thread. Those who know me personally have my contacts, you can ask me any questions personally, have a great day everyone!”
As she mentions, her boyfriend Maxim spoke briefly with Stefan, but communication apparently ended.
Forum users quickly pointed out that Maxim and Alena’s messages were almost identical. The similarities are obvious, even in the original language, begging the question; is the author Stefan’s ex or her boyfriend?
The Community’s First Thoughts
Despite the similarities in Maxim and Alena’s messages, the rebuttal was a strong starting point. However, some had doubts, like one user who had questions about the timeline:
“@alohahaloha (Alena Mironenko), at what point did you report the seed phrase on the tablet to Stefan?
It's just that, if it was before the theft, it's strange that Stefan didn't transfer the balance to another clean wallet.
If after the theft, it’s strange that she didn’t report it earlier when she discovered the phrase while sitting.”
Another played devil’s advocate well, pointing out the imbalance of evidence:
“In a reasonable reality, the burden of proof lies with the one who accuses! At the moment, it's words against words, given that the accusations are really shitty, it's not like stealing gum from a store.”
The same user also found it strange that so much time lapsed between the theft and the forum post.
“This is just fucking crazy. I mean, “I didn't give a shit for two years, and now I have to take this out into the public and ask for 200k rakeback?”’
Insightfully, another onlooker saw a flaw in the foundation of Stefan’s accusations:
“This is a real question, seriously, because this is the foundation of what is happening. Was there an action itself?
We see rather strange behavior from a person who had such money stolen... (to announce it after 2 years and ask for a couple of hundred) It looks more like outright mockery, to be honest.
Perhaps unrequited love, old feelings that flared up, etc. I don’t know.
There are a lot of questions, fundamental ones, without answers to which the story is very raw”
As another put it, “Where is the proof that there was money?”
But foundations aside, there was just as much support for Stefan’s version of events. Several forum members discussed Alena’s actions. The unified front that the pair presented on Telegram, to some, appeared to be suspicious. As one user put it:
“Judging by the messages in Telegram from different supposed accounts, one person wrote both, too many similar phrases slip out all the time... It looks like they stole it, judging by the behavior, and she disappeared from Twitch around the same time…”
But this was a complex case in the court of public opinion and everything was being examined.
“alohahaloha,” has not had a post since, as she foreshadowed in her public reply to Stefan.
In that message, she provided multiple potential versions of where the missing $3 million could have gone. At the same time, she discredited Stefan and labeled him a drug addict whose altered consciousness make him an unreliable narrator (at best). In the past, Stefan revealed that he had a “marijuana addiction and bipolar disorder.” It’s also been said that he displays signs of manic syndrome with his eccentric and elevated mood.
On the other hand, Alena’s story has a few holes, and there was speculation about her life afterward.
"Having done a superficial analysis of the guys' Instagram pages, or have things gone uphill for them after 2021-2022? Hotels for 300-400 bucks a day, new watches. Cartier gifts, Louis Vuitton clothes, trips to Europe, and the USA, renting not-the-most-budget cars. Draw your own conclusions.
I know how much similar real estate agencies earn in Thailand. It wouldn't be enough."
On Instagram, Maxim is Max_Shatilov, the “father” of Apart Homes in Phuket. Upon visiting their website, you’ll first be told they have 7 years of experience, then a bit further down the page, 6 years of experience. They claim “no commissions” and “special conditions” for investors and real estate customers. Essentially, it appears to be a listing service for Thai real estate, as well as a rental and property management company.
A forum user claiming to be a friend of Alena and Maxim vouched for the success of the company, along with Maxim’s business partners and managers. In their words, large sales volume and unique terms with developers have built Apart Homes into a very profitable company.
The community voted:
One user called for an opinion poll. Among the forum members, the majority clearly feel that Alena and Maxim are somehow involved in the theft of Stefan’s money. After seeing the story unfold, 163 users were suspicious, while 19 voters thought the pair were innocent.
Stefan Explains and Offers $100k for Polygraph
A couple of days after he dropped the accusations, Stefan responded to calls for evidence.
“What evidence of theft are you expecting? This is crypto and we are not in court. If there was ironclad evidence, the criminals would already be in prison. I will describe all the details of this case later and bring in witnesses of the phenomenal financial growth of Alena and Maxim, and then everyone will determine for themselves how likely it is that they did it.”
A couple of days later, his tone was less optimistic.
“If anyone was in close contact with Max and Alena and knows any information that could help solve the case, write me a private message if you haven't already. I'll find a way to thank you.
And I'll get my money back one way or another. Since they didn't go for a clean deal with a 200k rakeback payment, I'll have to return everything they stole. And I offered a good deal. My offer is no longer valid.”
After another day, it sounded like Stefan had what he needed.
“Alena and Maksimka will wait and you will wait, there is no escape. Proof, wallet, background, context, description of personalities, and the investigation that I conducted specially for this are being flown to Phuket and you will get them later! My life is too busy, understand this, so it takes time.”
A little more than a week later, he returned with two statements for Maxim and gave his version of events.
“Maxim, I have two messages for you. I advise you to listen. Your life, in any case, will be destroyed to the ground, or rather, you will fall much deeper than the ground. But how deep in the abyss you will suffer depends on you.
First☝ Be a Man, register on GypsyTeam. This is the deepest, most family-oriented, intellectual, sincere, manly, educational, reliable, stable, creative, developing and honest forum in the world! I don't know a cooler forum! 🤯 This is our jury trial, believe me, if you are innocent (hahaha), you will be protected. But if you are guilty, you are finished.
Come here to chat about the merits of this case, you will not get out of it anyway. You are under surveillance 🕸️
Second. You will not dare to raise your hand against Alena again. Also, you will not put psychological pressure on her anymore. If you disobey, then in this life you will be disabled and will eat in a straitjacket from a tube. Do not doubt it. And nothing will happen to me for this. And if it does ... I do not mind serving time for the truth and for my ideals."
Then, he gave the forum more context surrounding the missing $3 million.
“In the spring/summer of 2021, even before my matches with Limitless and Tuti ended, I decided to break up with Alena. Despite the fact that she was crazy about me and idolized me. I decided to break up because in my eyes she was unworthy of me, even though she was a smart girl, I was repelled by the fact that she sold her body on webcams. Now I don’t blame women for this, I understand that life is not an easy thing and the temptation to choose easy ways is very great, especially for the weaker sex. But then I was categorical.
Without thinking twice, she immediately started looking for a new man. So she started a relationship with Maxim Shatilov. Even when they were together, she continued to periodically f*** me and tell me how stupid and poor Maxim was and that she would stay with him for some time until she found a better replacement. Then, by the way, I was convinced that I made the right decision to break up with her.
Shortly before my departure to Moscow from Phuket, I decided to give her my iPad, simply because I didn’t need it, I didn’t use it, and I like to get rid of unnecessary things.
Before giving the iPad to Alena, I erased all the information on it, including all the photos. I erased the photos from the "deleted photos" folder, where they go for 30 days after deletion. Then I logged out of my Apple ID, and she logged into hers, I checked again to see if there was any information left there and after that I forgot about it and didn't worry about it.
Then I flew to Moscow. Six months later, the money was stolen. In December 2021.
Alena and Maxim had the opportunity to remain unpunished, but they made a gross mistake ...
I did not allow the slightest thought that it could be them, because I deleted all the information from the iPad and logged out of my Apple ID. But they themselves planted the grain of truth that led to their downfall. Alena sent me a photo of the seed phrase with the words that she was ready for any checks. Which is strange, considering that I did not express any suspicions about her. It is also strange why she sent me a photo of the seed phrase half a year after she received this iPad from me and only after the theft. Moreover, it was instantaneous and did not correspond to the context of the situation, because I had no suspicions about her, but she sent the seed phrase immediately after I told her about the theft, as if this decision was made by them in advance ...
Information from her that I gave someone a MacBook and there, allegedly, could also be a seed phrase, is a lie that I suggested to her, so as not to give out information until the last minute that they are the only suspects in the case.”
Stefan now turned his attention to Maxim and the backstory of the Phuket realtor.
“Before becoming a millionaire, he was a talentless videographer in Phuket. I saw his work, a mediocre person in a word. As for his inner world and moral issues, read what people write about him and his business. This man is a scam to the core. "A real man" hahahaha.”
At this point, Stefan included a link to a real estate forum where a user accused Maxim of being a scammer in 2022. In their words, the promised average of 15% return per annum from real estate rentals was impossible. They also questioned the timeline of the business operation, saying that it was nowhere near as long-running as the website states. Many other details were pointed to as suspicious or fabricated. After the link, Stefan continued.
“The man bought real estate for at least $2,000,000 in Phuket alone. He told many people about this in private conversations. These people are respected members of our community, famous Gipsyteam users. I am waiting for confirmation from these people here. I believe that this is your social duty and responsibility.
Here's another interesting thing. I flew specifically to Phuket and contacted their real estate agency, which positions itself as the largest and most successful on the island. Which, even if it were true, would still not explain how it can bring in millions of dollars in commissions in an environment of crazy competition.
I contacted this company. My friends and acquaintances also contacted them. There was one woman working in the company, absolutely unprofessional, who needed two days to offer a couple of miserable options and then she would disappear, while when you contact dozens of other companies, you get 20 different options instantly and professional agents run after you, providing a full range of services. So it became clear that the "agency" of Alena and Maxim is a fiction. Perhaps their company has grown by now (fake it, fake it until you make it). But the millions, travel, real estate, expensive watches and cars appeared much earlier.
I believe there is a simple and elegant solution to this conflict.”
He then proposed the solution, with a nice payoff for the right results.
“It is believed that the polygraph has an error. I do not argue with this. Although recently, their accuracy has increased significantly. The probability of error is 1-5%. But this is the probability per person. I suggest that Maxim and Alena take turns taking the polygraph. If the polygraph indicates only one person is "guilty", then we will consider this a mistake and drop the charges. But if the polygraph indicates "guilty" for both of them, it will mean that the probability of error is between 0.0001% and 0.0025%. In this case, everything will be obvious to me. It will also be obvious to me if they refuse to take the polygraph. If after the polygraph we deliver a verdict of "not guilty", I will pay them $100,000 in compensation for moral damage. But if the polygraph and our people's jury deliver a verdict of "guilty", then I will calmly pursue them to the very end, I will never leave them alone. I will return what is mine and punish them for what they did."
Artist rendering of Maxim undertaking a polygraph
Later, the forum community reacted to this polygraph bounty in support. It seems, that to an innocent party, it would be a freeroll. Voting showed only around 5% didn’t think the polygraph would prove anything.
To end the post, Stefan spoke to Alena (alohahaloha).
“Alena, you are much less guilty, in my opinion. In the situation that you found yourself, many girls would have done the same, especially under strong psychological pressure from the outside.
You can not judge a woman for lack of will and a strong core. I know that he forced her to this crime. He made her do it!
You have a chance to save yourself. Pack your things right now and go to your friends. I will take care of you. If you confess everything, I will not only forgive you, but also give you what you dreamed of. You will have a child from me. I will build you a house and provide for you within reason for as long as you need, most likely for the rest of your life. Of course, I will not be your man, but for you this is not the most important thing.
This is the most important decision in your life. Think very carefully. Your life will either be hell or heaven. It all depends on how smart a girl you are.”
Judging from reactions alone, the post was well-received and taken in the spirit Stefan intended. By the next day, he’d also formed some potentially unanswerable questions.
“Alena, a long time ago, deleted our correspondence, in which she sent a photo of a seed phrase with the words that she is ready for any checks.
If they are innocent and have nothing to hide, then why, within minutes of accusing me of theft, do I receive messages with ridiculous explanations as to why it couldn't be them.
Why, if they are innocent, did they immediately write that exculpatory message. And then they disappeared and closed their pages on social networks?”
Supporting Evidence Floods In for Stefan11222
A well-timed post was helpful for Stefan after his much-needed version of events.
One forum user posted two screenshots of a 2022 post from a representative of someone Maxim supposedly scammed in Phuket. It claimed that Maxim had used “many forms of deception,” including selling illiquid assets, overpricing, and inflating potential real estate income so that clients would buy homes. The author also alleged that Maxim was involved in cryptocurrency fraud and that several statements are already with the police.
The translation is not perfect, but the core message is understandable
The same day, Stefan released the transaction history from his wallet. It showed funds leaving the wallet, before using a tumbler.
“In total, the attackers transferred 300 ETH (≈$1,300,000) and $1,500,000 in USDT and USDC tokens to their account.
Then the attackers used the transaction anonymization service (mixer) and made a number of transactions to accounts belonging to this service.”
At this point, a couple of weeks have passed since Stefan first brought up the theft. There was the offer of a few hundred thousand, then a proposed polygraph test, but no responses from Alena or Maxim. The community had been critical of Stefan’s mishandling of seed phrases, mental health, and other possible flaws in his story, but he had many supporters. Perhaps, with no communication from the accused, the appearance of guilt was increasing.
Stefan remained convinced, stating he was 100% sure of their involvement. He also claimed to have “received an admission of guilt from them,” but didn’t reveal the exact form it took.
But finally, 21 days after Stefan’s initial post, a user posted a long message from Maxim’s lawyer. The full text is quite long, so please click on the Spoiler section to see the entire thing. We’ve collected the important points.
Essentially, Maxim’s legal representative wrote that:
Stefan may have committed slander, which carries a sentence of up to 5 years in Russia. The lawyer notes that legal procedures “have already been initiated”.
Undertaking a polygraph would be completely voluntary at this time.
The polygraph should be done with certain parameters. This includes using a licensed expert in St. Petersburg, Russia, and both parties signing a civil law contract agreeing on all terms of the polygraph test.
Stefan must agree to donate 30,000,000 rubles (around $328,000) to a foundation within 30 working days of the contract signing date.
If the accused parties are shown to be uninvolved based on the polygraph, Stefan must donate the 30,000,000 rubles within two business days. Stefan must also publicly apologize on the forum and all social media accounts within one business day of this outcome. Finally, he would have to delete his GipsyTeam Forum account and not register for 5 years.
Stefan must pay for the polygraph, a business class flight, and at least a 4-star hotel for four days.
Stefan must remain in Russia for 5 days after the test at a known location.
The polygraph is only considered passed if all other terms are met.
"Acting at the request of Maxim and Alena, I am forwarding comments from their lawyers on the situation with the charge of embezzlement
"Dear Maxim, Alena! In continuation of our conversation, we are sending our brief conclusion on the questions you raised.
1) As we have previously indicated, based on the analysis of the text of the message published, as we were able to find out, by citizen Burakov S.S. (under the nickname Stefan11222) on the forum ( https://forum.gipsyteam.ru/) , we see the presence of elements of a crime, liability for which is provided for by Part 5 of Article 128.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (slander, combined with the accusation of persons in committing a particularly serious crime, punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to five years), in which you are the injured party. Legal procedures regarding the publication of slander have already been initiated.
2) Regarding your question about the possibility of using a polygraph (conducting a psychophysiological study using a polygraph), we inform you of the following. In the jurisdiction of the Russian Federation, as well as in most legal systems of the world, there is a presumption of innocence, the essence of which boils down to the fact that a person accused of committing a crime is considered innocent until his guilt is established by a court verdict that has entered into legal force. At the same time, the suspect/accused is not obliged to prove his innocence (see, for example, Article 14 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation). We ask you to keep this in mind when deciding on the choice of a method for protecting your rights. At present, based on the facts known at the moment, no charges have been brought against you for committing theft from Burakov in any official capacity, therefore, the conduct of any research (including using a polygraph) will be of an exclusively private, voluntary nature. Of course, you have the right to offer Burakov, as well as yourself, to undergo a polygraph test, asking the specialist about your involvement in the alleged theft of his property.
3) You have the right to enter into an agreement between yourself and Burkov S.S. on the procedure for undergoing the study, publication of the results of this study, terms, payment procedure and other conditions.
We offer you an edited draft of the conditions for passing the polygraph, which must be fixed in the agreement: 1. Passing the polygraph will be carried out in the city of St. Petersburg in a licensed expert institution with an authorized specialist. 2. A description of the case and questions for the specialist of the expert institution can be prepared by both parties. 3. The parties sign a civil law contract (agreement) on the subject of the charge, subjects of the charge, conditions for passing the polygraph, the procedure for incurring expenses, the procedure for paying the amount based on the results of passing the study, the date of the study. The agreement is drawn up in accordance with the law of the Russian Federation. The specified agreement with the concealment of personal data, except for the full name, is published on the forum at the address: https://forum.gipsyteam.ru/ (hereinafter referred to as the Forum). Each party retains a copy of the agreement. The signing of the agreement must also be recorded by video. In this regard, we additionally note that the drafting of the Agreement will not be the basis for terminating other legal procedures launched against the accuser and the Site Administrator.
4. The specialist’s conclusion based on the results of the polygraph is published on the Forum.
5. Before passing the polygraph, Burakov signs an agreement with the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation ( https://bfkh.ru/how-to-help/donation/online/) to donate 30,000,000 rubles within 30 working days from the date of signing and posts a scan of the agreement on this forum. Based on the donation agreement, Burakov must record the specified amount on deposit with a person of his choice (for example, on a notary's deposit in the Russian Federation), publishing evidence of the deposit on the Forum.
6. If the Polygraph Study confirms that the accused persons are not involved in the theft, he undertakes to pay 30 million rubles to the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation within 2 business days from the date of the Study, and also publishes a check (payment order) on the transfer of the said funds to the charitable foundation. In this case, Burakov also undertakes to make an official public apology on the Forum and in all his social networks within 1 business day to Shatilov Maxim and Mironenko Alena regarding the deliberate falsity of the publicly stated accusations. After making the apology, he also undertakes to cease any activity on the Forum, deletes the account of user Stefan11222 and undertakes not to register on the Forum under another account for 5 years.
7. Taking into account the burden of proving the guilt of the accused persons, which lies with Burakov, the latter shall bear the following expenses for organizing the Polygraph Test. Burakov shall fully compensate Shatilov Maksim's expenses for a business class flight to St. Petersburg and back, as well as accommodation in a hotel of at least 4 stars for 4 days in advance. Burakov shall pay in advance or transfer to a third party for payment the cost of the Test. The approximate cost of the Test is approximately 50,000 rubles.
8. The day before passing the polygraph and within 5 days after, Burakov undertakes to be on the territory of the Russian Federation, indicating the address of his location, providing his contact information.
4) Passing the polygraph is possible only if all 8 conditions are met in the stated volume. In order to accept this offer on the stated terms, Burakov must send a signed receipt to this Forum and the accusers (with user IDs under the Stefan11222 profile, a brief subject of the accusation and data on the accused persons, a list of the evidence he has) no later than 08/30/2024 12:00 Moscow time. If the receipt is not sent, the offer to pass the polygraph will be canceled. If the receipt is sent, the parties will begin negotiations to draw up an Agreement and sign it within 20 working days.
5) Additionally, Shatilov Maksim and Mironenko Alena report that in addition to the slander of theft, the accusation against Mironenko Alena of allegedly engaging in pornographic activity and of intimate meetings with the accuser after meeting Shatilov Maksim is also false. This must also be publicly refuted by Burakov in the manner provided for in paragraph 6.
6) Since this case has already been transferred to the legal field on the territory of the Russian Federation, we ask all users of this site to exclude any threats through third parties, not to involve the identities of innocent people in the discussion, and to send all questions of interest or any information useful for the investigation to e-mail."
The lawyer also added that slander about Alena Mironenko’s pornographic activities and meeting with Stefan after they broke up were false. These details must be added to the public apology that could follow a polygraph result.
Stefan responded in poker terms.
“An interesting click-raise from a fish has arrived.
I'll think about whether to call this raise or go all-in right away.
It seems the fish was sincerely hoping for a fold, not understanding what the opponent's range consists of. If so, then the fish is even fatter than I thought.
I wonder if the fish understands that even if he gets incredibly lucky and his trash wins on a showdown, the game will never end. This is just one hand. The game will live forever, and I am the strongest regular in this game. I will bumhunt this fat fish until I zero him out. And I will also drive him into debt."
Clearly, the terms didn’t sit well with Stefan, and everything ground to a halt after that. Burakov was still active on the forum, but the topic went from the theft to human behavior and alpha male psychology. It’s quite a lot to unpack, so we recommend beginning your reading after the lawyer’s correspondence.
If this is all a bit much, unwind with a freeroll. No cost to enter, cash to win, and you can continue reading at the same time.
On September 4th, almost a month after ignition, Stefan brought an end to speculation.
“I haven't slept for 24 hours. It was a very difficult and important day.
The case of the theft of $2,800,000 has been solved. There are still minor technical details left to put the culprits behind bars. This crazy story is worthy of a screen adaptation.
I will say right away that Alena and Max were not involved. That's the twist. I am very guilty before them, but I know how to correct my mistakes. I took 20 mg of modafinil to stay awake, I don't want to put off recording the video until tomorrow, I want to talk to the community, I especially want to talk to Alena and Max. I'll wait until the nootropic starts to work and turn on the recording.”
In the days after, not much was said, until Stefan posted a video to YouTube. He speaks in Russian, but we’ve translated some of the important quotes from the 20-minute clip.
The apology began immediately:
“First of all, I want to apologize and give my apologies to Maxim and Alena. Friends, I ask you to see the situation from my perspective.
Alena, you know me, you know how much I'm a sensitive person, how much I'm an energetic person, how much I'm a boundless person. Well, that's me, that's how I did it. I had reasons. Look at all this through my eyes."
Stefan then addressed the legal situation in Russia and the potential slander case.
“Friends, I want to ask you to take back the statement. It's useless. First of all, even if you can't forgive me, if you don't find the strength to forgive me, it won't give you anything anyway.
I won't fly, I won't go to Russia. I'm not going to sue there. The only thing is that I simply won't be able to fly to Russia to visit my mother, but she will be able to fly to me in Argentina.
So if you're so angry at me you can't forgive me, well, you won't achieve anything with this case anyway."
Next, he spoke to Maxim Shatilov.
"On the other hand, what I offer is a business partnership relationship.
I realized that, “Holy s***, Max turned out to be an Alpha.” It turns out he was an ordinary videographer and then built a big business. I admire such people. I shake your hand, bro. This is worthy of respect.
In my paradigm, everything was different. I saw this situation completely differently. For a very long time, I nurtured in my head the understanding that you did it. But thanks to all this public movement, I won't say now thanks to what else, real criminals were found. I'll tell you a little later about this in this video.
Accordingly, after it became clear who did it, I saw a different picture of you, Max. That is, your company is not fake. You are a real Alpha. You really built a cool business. I respect it. I want to help you.”
“I offer you, over a year and a half or two, to open a company in Texas and become our
Partners. We will need your services and you will need us. We will give you exclusive offers”
Stefan also offered to send money to the Konstantin Khabensky Foundation, with terms of at least a year and a half. This is the charity that Maxim’s lawyer listed in the forum post.
Stefan then continued with his apology.
“Let me atone for my guilt. Rationally, there is no need to punish me. I am sure that you will forgive me simply because you are a man. Because you are Alpha. After some time, after years, you will call me your brother.”
And then, Stefan introduced a new suspect.
Meet Anton: Stefan's New Suspect in the $3M Theft
“Well, now I want to talk about those who stole my money.”
As promised, Stefan is about to bring a new name into the mix. Naturally, many will have trouble with this move. The last names Stefan provided were dragged through the mud, so to speak, at a supposed 100% level of surety. At a vote, the community was also convinced, though the sample size was relatively small. However, being initially wrong does not mean Stefan must be wrong again.
Stefan11222
With a copy of Lee Strobel’s “Is God Real?” on the table, Stefan introduced us to Anton.
"In 2016 or 2017, I was in Thailand playing poker. I taught and had students. I always taught someone, always pulled someone up, always helped someone. I’m that kind of person. I can't do it differently. I definitely need to give, otherwise my life is meaningless and empty.
I had one student, his name is Anton. He flew to Thailand where I taught him and helped him. Anton had certain problems; he suffered from alcoholism. I helped him get out of addiction, saved his life. He thanked me for it many times and constantly.
Besides poker, Anton had other hobbies. He was into crypto. I was never keen on crypto, I always thought it was boring. But I was still involved in it for diversification, I did some trades and just ran some business. Anton was one of those people who helped me with this. I trusted him and thought that he understood. Well, at least I trusted him with sums as much as I felt that he understood.
Anton got into my trust specifically because he showed me all his loyalty, his efforts, that he works day and night, and that he is ready to give his life for me. That is why I trusted him in every way. I did not suspect him until the very last moment, until everything was revealed. Betrayal. F***ing rat.
When I finished my matches with Wiktor Malinowski and Hector Alvarez, I left Thailand for Moscow, where Anton lived. I met him there, talked. I didn't meet him often, a couple of times, but it was enough for him and his accomplices to set up surveillance on me and wiretap where I live.
His accomplices are cops, werewolves in uniform. Anton himself is a Reshala (Решала), a "problem solver" from the nineties. Not a criminal character, well, an unusual lawyer. A lawyer problem solver.
When my money was stolen, he knew that I would turn to him first for help. He prepared his cops in advance. He poured into my ears that I can't go to the prosecutor's office or the investigator because they're going to screw me over somehow. He said what needs to be done through their own, and I need to pay. He brought his cops. I paid them another 100,000 dollars for investigation. His lawyers brought us to the prosecutor's office. In general, this scheme was done flawlessly, as he thought.
Anton himself is a flunk, he is nobody. He just decided to use the cops when drunk. To one of his old buddies, he said that there is such a f***ing naive millionaire champion in poker. And then he said to him, "Holy shit, so let's take him."
Anton was in a difficult situation. By that time, he had already found out that his bots and trading strategy don't work for shit, that he can't earn, and in fact, he has a heart. Anton is a man with a big heart. That's why he went for this case. He has a wife and a child, which he introduced me to. We went to dinners together. I know his family. I know how much he loves himself. He doesn't love himself, he doesn't care, he's ready to die any day. But their life, it was because of this that he went into this business.
The case will be solved soon, there is no doubt about it. I need information about the location of this man. He is currently hiding in Thailand. I need to get him first because right now his accomplices are looking for him, those same cops. They want to kill him so that there are no more connections, so that through him, I do not reach them, and they do not go to jail.”
Stefan then spoke directly to Anton, his former student.
“Anton, I advise you to voluntarily surrender. The end is coming for you in any case. The only question is on what conditions.
I publicly give my word to the whole world: if you sincerely surrender, then your family will get 200,000 dollars. I'll take my money, you'll go to jail, and your accomplices will all go to jail. If you don't agree, okay, the case will still be solved. They're already doing this. You thought you did everything cleanly. S***, you don't know s*** about technology. And you also didn't know how technology will advance in 3 years.
Soon I'll get to you, but it would be better for you to come to me yourself.”
The next day, Stefan uploaded a short video to YouTube, saying he’d had a video call with Anton. However, the situation was unchanged and no resolution came. Apparently, Anton was unsure of what to do, appearing guilty, and Stefan was considering getting the Italian mafia involved.
Anton quickly responded in the GipsyTeam Forum under the username "Freelancer":
“Hello everyone. I am that Anton from the video. The accusations are unfounded, I am not hiding, I live and work in Phuket.
The only truth in the video is that I advised Steph to contact the cops I know.
I will of course send the video to this cop, he will be glad that he is accused of complicity in this theft.”
About the video, Anton only said that he intends to follow Alena and Maxim by taking legal action. He noted that Stefan should not contact him through Telegram again, only through a lawyer. As for his accuser’s mindset, Anton said:
“I watched the whole video. It's a pitiful sight, of course. It's terrible that one of the world's strongest players, under the influence of drugs, fell into the abyss of madness.”
Anton Provides His Own Alibi
A day after reacting to Stefan Burakhov’s video, Anton cut to the chase:
“Let's get this straight right now to end this senseless farce.
Dry facts that can be confirmed by transactions and the words of our third companion. He is a well-known person in the community and very fair. So I think he will confirm my words.
1. On the ledger, in addition to USDT, USDC and ETH on the same network, which were stolen, there were 8 bitcoins, which I knew about due to our joint work on crypto. The thieves did not touch them.
2. At the same time, I was managing our joint crypto project with a fairly large sum. For 80% of people here (including me), this is a changelife amount. I could easily steal this money. I returned the remainder on first demand. I confirmed all transactions.
3. After the theft, Steph transferred these eight bitcoins to me, which I kept in my wallet until April 2022, which I returned upon first request.
4. (After looking at the transactions) From February to April, I transferred a total of $230,000 from Steph's accounts to third parties on his behalf. All correspondence is available. The money was used to buy virtual land. A breakthrough!!! I talked him out of it.
Should I write more? There is a lot more.“
Rightly, the community was not completely behind Stefan’s new accusation. He mentioned on September 7th that “it is reliably known” that Anton was the thief, but this post received unanimous downvotes. The same day, he admitted that Alena “didn’t do porn” and he had “made it up,” further damaging his credibility.
After this admission, Stefan was given a single day to wrap up his affairs on the GipsyTeam Forum. To the organizers, it was a step too far. As the final hours of membership slipped away, Stefan took the time to speak about upcoming podcasts, talk about his God, and remind readers of Anton’s guilt. Again, a polygraph was offered, and accepted by Anton (in Thailand), but Stefan didn’t like the conditions.
“I have nothing to do but fly halfway around the world to test you on a lie detector. I know 100% that you stole my money. I'll prove it soon, you'll rot in prison, scum.
Since you are willing to take a polygraph test on the condition that I fly to you "personally" hahahaha, then maybe you would agree to take a polygraph test with my representative at a certified service provider in Thailand?”
Doubling down, Stefan talked about connecting with high-ranking Russian officials, some of the “closest people to Vladimir Putin.” Public opinion, however, seemed to be on Anton’s side. While Stefan’s posts were heavily downvoted, the opposite was true for Anton’s. It’s important to note that the GipsyTeam Forum is less like Reddit, and more like an international version of 2+2.
There was a tone of regret to Anton’s posts, in the final hours of the thread.
“I generally communicate politely and in detail with you now for only one reason: in memory of that normal Stefan, whom I knew and respected. Who really helped me in a difficult situation (not with the alcohol of course, you got that wrong again), but with that smart and wise conversation by the pool the night before I left Thailand in 2018. He changed a lot. And I sincerely mourn that person.”
Later on, a witness alleged that Anton had swindled $100,000 from Stefan by recommending he pay certain police to begin a criminal case. Anton’s defense was that he didn’t know much about the financial side of this deal and only recommended the involved parties. The community wasn’t fully convinced by his defense, but it was not enough to confirm guilt on the larger issue – millions of dollars in missing crypto.
And in The End…
Almost exactly one month after it started, the Stefan11222 saga of missing crypto drew to a close.
As you may have suspected, it wasn’t finalized with concrete evidence. No CCTV of Anton stealing the funds was released, there were no confessions, and no charges brought in court.
But in the court of public opinion, evidence isn’t always needed. Many had watched this story unfold and Stefan especially, had not held back. But now, his forum privileges and membership are revoked, and the thread is closed.
Before that, the forum users had a chance to weigh in. The moral victor was not hard to see.
“In fact, Stefan could have been screwed by anyone,” a user named “Rajah” wrote. “With his psychological tricks, he made people not believe, like the boy who cried wolf, and he didn't provide a single, I emphasize, proof other than circumstantial and psychological. At the same time, he accompanied all his accusations with insults.”
It was pointed out that Anton’s conduct around the $100,000 was suspicious and also, that Stefan had been let down. Not in the sense that he had done no wrong, but in the sense that his friends and supporters had let him spiral, even encouraging his deterioration. On Stefan’s YouTube and Telegram channels, no further mention of the theft has been made.
It seems we must wait for more information and evidence, though it may never come. One must wonder, if it existed, why we haven’t seen it already. If these are all of the facts a judge can use to appraise Anton’s innocence, he may not be able to.
If Stefan is correct about Anton, then we have witnessed one of the kings of high-stakes poker fall victim to bad PR, various strategic missteps, and a lack of hard evidence.
If Stefan is incorrect about Anton, then one of the kings of high-stakes poker will have stained their reputation, along with at least three other people's. After being incorrect about Alena and Maxim, a final mistake would drain any support for another accusation. Switching to Anton, after being 100% sure of Alena and Maxim's guilt, was already a step too far for many.
We’ll continue to update you if there are legal proceedings or developments with Stefan’s case.
Review the Highlights Yourself:
It's impossible to cram this full story into a single article. If you want more context and would prefer to read through the original Russian GipsyTeam Forum posts, you'll need to use the translate feature in your browser. In Google Chrome, just right click and select Translate to [Your Language].
Here are the key moments in the story of Stefan11222's missing crypto:
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