Lviv resident Nazariy Husakov, who organized a public fundraiser for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), has been charged with new charges. He is suspected of legalizing over UAH 162.5 million in charitable donations, which were withdrawn through a complex scheme involving major crypto exchanges, stablecoins, and an extensive network of «drops.»
Lviv resident Nazariy Husakov, who organized a public fundraiser for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), has been charged with new charges. He is suspected of legalizing over UAH 162.5 million in charitable donations, which were withdrawn through a complex scheme involving major crypto exchanges, stablecoins, and an extensive network of «drops.»
This was reported by the Prosecutor General of Ukraine Ruslan Kravchenko on his Telegram channel. He noted that the pre-trial investigation into the facts of fraud and money laundering on a particularly large scale has now been completed, and the materials are being prepared for submission to the court.
Law enforcement officers found out that the money of the benefactors passed through a complicated financial web, built to bypass financial monitoring systems. The hryvnia received on personal accounts was converted into USDT stablecoins through the popular centralized exchanges Binance and WhiteBIT. The assets were then distributed among dozens of digital wallets. To withdraw funds into fiat and their further dispersion, the organizer of the scheme used more than 1,170 bank cards issued to third parties.
The total amount of transactions investigated through expert examination exceeded UAH 162.5 million. Currently, the officially documented amount of direct losses has increased from UAH 1.3 million to over UAH 2 million, and the number of identified victims who sent money to the fraudster has increased from 34 to 96 people.
«The suspect is cooperating with the investigation, providing the necessary explanations and fully admitting his guilt in the crimes charged,» Ruslan Kravchenko said. At the same time, within the framework of a separate investigation, cyber police and prosecutors continue to track the full chain of transactions to identify the ultimate owners of the wallets and other possible accomplices in the scheme.
The investigation suggests that Gusakov spent part of the collected millions on his own needs, investments in cryptocurrency, and gambling.
Nazariy Gusakov is a 31-year-old Lviv resident with a rare disease, SMA (spinal muscular atrophy), for whom Ukrainians massively collected donations through social networks, media, as well as with the assistance of many top bloggers, politicians, show business representatives, and other public figures.
The scandal erupted in June 2025, when social media users asked for reports on the spending of funds collected for treatment. When Gusakov failed to do so, he was suspected of misusing the donations.
According to journalist Olga Khudetska, who was one of the most active participants in the investigation into possible fraud by Nazariy Gusakov, the total amount of funds he raised is ultimately unknown.
«In fact, we cannot understand the volume of his fees, we only see 49 million withdrawn from banks. And what was on the crypto wallets and cards, where he asked to transfer funds, bypassing banks, and what he collected through personal messages — we do not know,» Khudetska noted.
Nazariy Gusakov explained the origin of the millions on his crypto wallet, noting that «this is the money of people who were chasing away winnings from poker or betting.»
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the scandal surrounding Gusakov, reporting that Gusakov left the territory of Ukraine on June 13. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi reported that 31-year-old Gusakov, who suffers from SMA, left for Italy, but plans to return to Ukraine.
Subsequently, the National Police initiated criminal proceedings against Nazariy Gusakov under Part 4 of Article 190 (fraud) and Part 3 of Article 209 (legalization (laundering) of proceeds from crime) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
At the end of June, it became known that the National Police was conducting searches in Kyiv and Lviv in a case of possible fraud and money laundering.
In July, Nazariy Gusakov recorded his first video message after being suspected of embezzling donations collected for treatment. He said he was in a clinic in Milan and was aware that the Prosecutor General’s Office was preparing to announce the suspicion.
In the spring of 2026, Gusakov returned to Ukraine from Italy, where he was being treated. He was re-suspended because the amount of damage turned out to be greater, and the number of victims almost tripled.
