Portland's high-flying couple, Sergey and Galina Lebedenko, have landed in federal prison for five years each after siphoning off $34 million from a former client, their sentencing announced on Wednesday. The duo, who ran a local limousine business, managed to maintain a facade of trust as they unduly charged their client repeatedly for services over seven years. In the shadow of their extravagant purchases, and without a paper trail except for a single invoice in 2013, they buried the evidence of their scheme.
Exploiting a relationship that started at a simple airport pick-up in 2007, the Lebedenkos extended their services to include personal errands, billing, and even pet care for their victims. As owners and operators of Astra Car Service, LLC., Sergey drove the clients and Galina managed the financials. By 2016, they had the victim's credit card information, which they later used to levy exorbitant, unjustified charges that went unchecked. On one particular day in 2023, Galina racked up 17 charges totaling $17,900, simply for delivering a prescription and meals, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The duo's spree of luxury acquisitions, that included over a dozen homes, several vehicles, a stake in private aviation, and a trove of expensive possessions, was cut short by federal investigators. As part of their sentence, a Final Order of Forfeiture targets their assets for remission to the victim, with 14 properties and 19 financial accounts pending sale.
Initially charged in January 2024, the Lebedenkos faced down a federal grand jury in February, resulting in charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and 34 counts of wire fraud. Ultimately, they pleaded guilty in October of 2024 to reduced charges which still landed them 57 months behind bars each. The case, brought to a head by the combined efforts of the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation, will see Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith D.M. Bateman and Andrew T. Ho, along with Katie C. de Villiers for forfeiture proceedings, dispatching justice in the wake of financial misdeeds. The sum they owe the victim will be determined at a later date, but their freedom, for now, is priced at over half a decade apiece.
