Elena Blinovskaya was arrested in 2023 while attempting to flee the country

Russian lifestyle coach and blogger Elena Blinovskaya has been sentenced to five years behind bars for large-scale tax evasion and money laundering, according to reports.

The Savelovsky District Court in Moscow delivered the verdict on Monday, also imposing a fine of 1 million rubles ($11,000) and a four-year ban on engaging in commercial activities. Prosecutors had requested a six-year term, while Blinovskaya had sought a deferral, citing her young children.

According to court filings, the blogger falsified business records and failed to pay more than 900 million rubles (over $11 million) in income tax between 2019 and 2021, while laundering around $8 million. By late February 2025, Blinovskaya's tax debt, including penalties and fines, had risen to $16 million.

In April 2023, the blogger was arrested at the border while trying to cross into Belarus by car. Police said she had also booked a flight from Moscow to Uzbekistan.

Blinovskaya pleaded guilty to tax evasion and money laundering, and was declared bankrupt by a court in November. Her husband, Aleksey Blinovsky, who was also implicated in the case, signed a contract with the Russian military last year. The pair have four underage children.

A former beauty pageant winner, Blinovskaya made a fortune by giving motivational speeches and hosting public events, where she talked about financial success and gave relationship advice. She amassed more than 5 million followers on Instagram, and also offered online seminars, dubbed 'marathons', on topics such as psychology, astrology, motherhood, and sex. She described her work as helping people "transition to the fourth dimension."

According to a 2021 report in Forbes magazine, around 150,000 people had participated in Blinovskaya's events at that point. In 2022, she launched her own show on the TV3 channel.

Initially placed under house arrest, Blinovskaya was later transferred to a pre-trial detention center in early 2024. Authorities changed her detention conditions after she hosted a New Year's Eve party attended by a key witness in her case.

Blinovskaya remained silent as the judge read the decision, standing for the 15-minute announcement, according to media reports.

A number of online Russian celebrities have recently been charged with money laundering and tax evasion, including fitness guru Valeria Chekalina and her husband, as well as prominent blogger Aleksandra Mitroshina.