As his file has it, Raskovalov struck an Internet friendship with one Lera Cohen, Canadian national, in 2001. He was anxious to settle in Canada, so the web couple plotted fictitious marriage. Crafty Miss Cohen demanded three thousand dollars for her good service, and gave him the settlement account number of her legal office in Toronto. The betrothed vanished as soon as she got the money.
The vengeful fiance sent ferocious letters to the US Consulate General in Yekaterinburg, and Canadian embassies in Finland, Portugal, Germany and Belgium. He demanded from diplomats to track down the swindler-or he would mail anthrax spores to the US ambassadorial staff in Moscow, the US Consulate in Yekaterinburg, and whatever Canadians presently in Russia or any other CIS country.
That was the love-and-vengeance story as a court press service spokesman retold it to Novosti.
Once arrested, Raskovalov swore he had not the slightest idea of doing what he had threatened. Investigators of the Federal Security Service (FSB) board for the Sverdlovsk Region chose to believe him.
Three judges at once considered Raskovalov's case on his application-an unprecedented arrangement in the region.
Miss Cohen vanished into thin air. No one has got whatever news of her.
