Overview
- A jury at the Old Bailey found Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc guilty on Monday, June 15, 2026, of conspiring to damage property by fire, and Lavrynovych was also convicted of two arson counts.
- The May 2025 attacks damaged a Toyota previously owned by Keir Starmer and two London properties he had lived in or owned, and occupants were asleep but no one was physically injured.
- Prosecutors showed the men were recruited and task‑ed through a Russian‑speaking Telegram account called “El Money,” which offered cryptocurrency payment for filmed evidence and gave detailed instructions.
- Independent investigations by the BBC and Financial Times have reported a possible link between the Telegram handler and a Russian diplomat, but Counter Terrorism Policing London says investigators have found no evidence of state sponsorship.
- The two convicted men are due to be sentenced on Friday, and the case has raised fresh concerns about how encrypted apps and crypto payments can be used to outsource politically motivated violence and stoke public fear.