Two men were convicted in London for a plot to set fire to properties linked to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, orchestrated by a mysterious Russian-speaking figure known as “El Money.” The fires in May 2025 damaged Starmer’s former home, an apartment building he once owned, and destroyed his old Toyota SUV, though no one was injured. Ukrainian national Roman Lavrynovych admitted to setting the fires for money to pay for his father’s medical treatment, claiming he was threatened by El Money. Lavrynovych and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc were found guilty of conspiracy to damage property by fire, while Petro Pochynok was acquitted. El Money’s identity remains unknown, and no evidence links the plot to a hostile state. Lavrynovych never received payment for the fires, despite promises from El Money.
QUESTION: Why do you think it’s important to uncover the identity of figures like “El Money” in criminal investigations?
London court convicts 2 men of plot to torch property linked to UK prime minister
