On May 12, 2023, Justice L. Merritt overturns our Default Judgment against Sergei Sachkov and orders the return of the money we seized from his bank account. This decision came after Sachkov had been properly served, failed to file a defense for years, and allowed both liability and damages judgments to be entered against him.

He is allowed to present his defense and what could have been the swift delivery of justice now becomes precedent for everyone to now completely ignore civil lawsuits.

We sought leave to appeal the decision, concerned it would unleash chaos in the justice system, but were rejected by a panel of three other judges on October 13, 2023.

The Decision

Below is a copy of the Order.

Our Reaction

We are strongly disappointed by this ruling. The decision contains several clear errors of fact and law that are difficult to reconcile with the evidentiary record. It effectively rewards prolonged non-participation and evasion after proper service.

It is difficult to avoid the impression that institutional reluctance — or outright prejudice — may have played a role in the outcome. When allegations involve insiders connected to broader claims against state agencies, procedural fairness appears to be applied unevenly.

Moving Forward

We will address the specific errors and concerning aspects of Justice Merritt’s decision in a detailed follow-up post. These issues deserve close public scrutiny.

Despite this procedural setback, the core evidence of what happened to Equibit Group remains intact and compelling. The full Factum of Equibit Group — the comprehensive evidentiary synthesis of the entire case — continues to advance and will be released in due course.

The public documentation campaign at equibitlawsuit.com exists to ensure the complete record, including procedural irregularities, remains transparent and accessible.

The pursuit of accountability continues.