Aleksib has been sentenced to four months of probation for tax fraud

The Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat reports that a district court has convicted Natus Vincere’s CS2 captain, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, of intentionally concealing income on a particularly large scale.

Aleksib received a four-month suspended prison sentence with a probation period ending on October 26, 2028. According to the official court ruling, the esports player committed intentional tax fraud with the aim of obtaining a significant financial benefit. In 2019, Virolainen failed to report income totaling 53,227 euros, resulting in the total amount of income tax he paid being underreported by 28,196 euros. The court determined that the concealed funds amounted to approximately one-third of the player’s total earnings for 2019; consequently, the defense’s argument that he had simply been forgetful when filing his tax return was deemed unfounded.

The defendant himself did not admit guilt for the crime. Aleksib explained that the amount in question was received from Valve as his share of sales of in-game virtual stickers to major players. According to the player, at that time, an external accounting firm was handling his financial affairs, and he himself believed that all necessary tax deductions from several tranches of payments for virtual items had already been automatically withheld before the funds were transferred to his account. The esports player added that he paid the outstanding debt in full immediately after receiving official notification from the tax authority.

The district court’s verdict has not yet become final. The defense has the right to appeal this court decision by filing an appeal by November 26, 2026.

Yesterday, Natus Vincere defeated FURIA in the group stage of PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 and improved their record to 2–1 in the tournament. Today, Alexi “Aleksib” Virolainen’s roster will face Team Vitality in a match to advance to the event’s playoffs.

Photo: StarLadder.