Aleksib Receives Four-Month Suspended Sentence for Tax Evasion

Natus Vincere's Counter-Strike 2 captain Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen reportedly received a four-month suspended prison sentence in a Finnish tax fraud case, according to reports published on October 27. The case concerns income from the sale of in-game Counter-Strike stickers that the esports player failed to declare in his tax return.

"1. Aleksib Receives Four-Month Suspended Sentence for Tax Evasion","1.1. Why Was Aleksib Taken to Court?","1.2. What Did Aleksib Say in Court?","1.3. What Does a Suspended Sentence Mean?","1.4. How Is the Case Connected to Aleksib's Career?"

Why Was Aleksib Taken to Court?

The case was heard at the District Court of Eastern Uusimaa.

According to prosecutors, the player failed to declare payments received from Valve for participating in Major tournaments.

Key figures in the case:

• €53,227.90 – undeclared income.

• €28,196.40 – estimated amount of unpaid tax.

• Four months – the suspended prison sentence sought by the prosecution.

The case concerns Aleksib's 2019 tax return. The alleged violation occurred in 2020, when he was already representing OG.

What Did Aleksib Say in Court?

The esports player admitted that he had not included the Valve payments in his tax return but denied deliberately evading taxes.

According to his defense, he was 22 years old when he received the money and did not understand that sticker revenue had to be declared separately.

Aleksib also believed that his tax obligations had been fulfilled because taxes were already being withheld from his regular salary.

According to media reports, the outstanding tax payments were subsequently settled.

What Does a Suspended Sentence Mean?

A suspended prison sentence does not involve immediate imprisonment.

The convicted person remains free but must comply with the conditions of a probationary period. Violating those conditions could result in the sentence being enforced.

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How Is the Case Connected to Aleksib's Career?

In 2019, Aleksib represented ENCE and reached the IEM Katowice Major final.

The Finnish captain later played for OG, G2 Esports, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

Since 2023, he has represented NAVI, winning PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 with the team.

The tax case concerns income earned long before his move to the Ukrainian organization.