Michael Cherney

There's a novel and movie doing the rounds that got me thinking.

I Google'd Michael Cherney and found my namesake - an ex Russian multi-billionaire with a very dubious past.

Michael Cherney ( aka Mikhail Chernoy ) fled Russia in 1993 in fear for his life - you could say his past had caught up with him.

He now lives in Israel where he's trying to whitewash his past with the help of a public relations firm that distribute his propaganda through their website http://www.israelnewsagency.com.

You may have heard about Michael Cherney recently as he's trying to sue Oleg Deripaska - someone who's even richer than he is!

I don't think much of Michael's chances of winning his court case as he's trying to get it heard in London - despite the fact that neither of them live in the UK, and their companies are not located in the UK either.

The court case is something that should be settled in Russia - but Michael daren't go back there!

Anyway it's up to Michael to prove to the London court that they should hear the case - the judge who's been assigned the case doesn't seem convinced that it should be heard - and the next step is for the judge to say how much money Michael will have to put up should the case be accepted.

There's a couple of recent articles about the case:
Michael Cherney / Mikhail Chernoy London court case article #1

Michael Cherney / Mikhail Chernoy London court case article #2

The other Michael Cherney sure leads an interesting life - much more interesting than me!

I've found some more info on Michael Cherney aka Michael Chernoy - Michael Cherney is also known as Michael Chernoy and two other similar names - making four in total!

"Although Chernoy has recently sought to position himself as a philanthropist and legitimate businessman, his documented association with major organized crime figures seriously undermines such claims. Chernoy is known to have a close relationship with Sam Kislin, an American-citizen from Ukraine tracked by the FBI for organized crime. A 1996 Interpol report confirms one of Kislin's companies was used by Chernoy and his brother Lev to launder millions of dollars. The FBI considers both Chernoy and Kislin to be members of the American Russian mob headed by imprisoned godfather Vyacheslav Ivankov, who was recently released.

Chernoy is also a known associate of Russian mobster, Alimzhan Tokhtakhounov, a shadowy figure in Russia implicated in serious crimes such as arms dealing and smuggling. Tokhtakhounov was also charged with bribing figure skating judges in the 2002 Winter Olympics. A 2002 New York Times article reported that Tohktakhounov introduced Michael Chernoy to the "famous Russian mob leader, Anton Malevsky," who is a contract killer and head of the Izmailovskaya gang. Malevsky met an untimely death in a parachute accident in South Africa in 2001."

The above is from a blog:
Michael Cherney / Mikhail Chernoy Red Mafia

I'm going to try and find that 2002 New York Times article - I'll post any info I find right here!

The man widely known as Michael Cherney is known under four different names - and he may have used as many as twelve names!

All the names he's used are derivatives of the western name "Michael Black" - hence the name of a new book that's just been published titled "Mafia in Black" and featuring ... you guessed it Michael Cherney.

I've found a new article on Michael Cherney:
Michael Cherney / Mikhail Chernoy Mafia in Black