Aleksib Suspended Sentence Explained: What the Tax Fraud Verdict Means for NAVI’s Captain

Aleksib has been given a four-month suspended prison sentence after a Finnish district court convicted the NAVI captain of aggravated tax fraud, Finnish media reported on October 27, 2026. The case covered more than €53,000 of Counter-Strike sticker income from Valve that was left off his 2019 tax return. He will not go to prison unless the suspension is broken.

The sentence matches what the prosecutor asked for and sits at the bottom of the legal range for the offence. Here is what Aleksib was found guilty of, what his defence argued and what the verdict means for his career.

What was Aleksib convicted of?

Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, 29, was convicted of aggravated tax fraud over income he received from Valve in the 2019 tax year. According to the charges heard at the Eastern Uusimaa District Court, he did not return his pre-filled 2019 tax return, and the Valve payments were missing from it.

The prosecution said that left more than €53,000 of taxable income undeclared and caused his income tax to be assessed more than €28,000 too low. The offence period in the charge runs from May 19 to September 22, 2020, in Vantaa, the window in which the 2019 return was handled.

The money came from Counter-Strike sticker sales. At Valve’s Majors, players and teams get a share of revenue from in-game stickers sold in their name. In 2019, Aleksib played two Majors with ENCE and reached the grand final of IEM Katowice 2019.

Will Aleksib go to prison after his suspended sentence?

No, not under this verdict. A suspended sentence means the prison term is not served as long as the person meets the conditions the court sets and does not commit a new offence during the probation period. The verdict reports we reviewed did not say how long Aleksib’s probation period is.

The four-month term is the minimum. Aggravated tax fraud in Finland carries between four months and four years in prison, so the court gave the lowest sentence available for the offence.

What did Aleksib’s defence argue?

Aleksib accepted that the sticker income was not declared but pleaded not guilty. According to Finnish reporting on the October 16 hearing, his defence made three points:

• He was 22 at the time and did not know that sticker money counted as taxable income.
• Tax had already been withheld from his salary, so he believed his taxes were in order.
• He did not act on purpose and was not trying to gain financially.

The prosecutor argued the opposite: that the case involved significant financial gain and should be treated as aggravated. The conviction shows the court sided with the prosecution on the charge. The court’s full written reasoning was not included in the reports we reviewed.

How much did Aleksib earn from CS in 2019?

Sticker revenue sits on top of tournament winnings, which is one reason it is easy to overlook. For context, Esports Earnings lists $114,079 in prize money for Aleksib in 2019, including $30,000 for ENCE’s second-place finish at IEM Katowice 2019.

IGN converted the €53,000 to about $59,550. By our maths, that makes the undeclared sticker money roughly half the size of his 2019 prize money. Exchange rates move, so treat this as a rough comparison only. The point is that Major sticker sales were a major income source for a player on a top team that year, not a side payment.

Aleksib tax case timeline

This timeline is TalkEsport’s summary of the case, based on Finnish court reporting.

We first covered the case when the charge was reported, in our story on Aleksib being charged with tax fraud.

Will Aleksib keep playing for NAVI?

Nothing in the verdict stops him from competing, and neither NAVI nor Aleksib had made a public statement about it at the time of writing. He kept playing for NAVI while the case went through court, and the hearing itself was moved to fit the team’s schedule.

Aleksib captained NAVI to its first CS2 Major title at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, where NAVI beat FaZe Clan 2-1 in the final on March 31, 2024. Before NAVI, his career included spells at OG and G2, where he was benched after a difficult season. He has also spoken about how his departure from ENCE played out.

Whether either side appeals is still unknown. We will update this article if the verdict is appealed or if NAVI or Aleksib comment.

FAQ

What sentence did Aleksib get?

Aleksib received a four-month suspended prison sentence for aggravated tax fraud, according to Finnish media reports on October 27, 2026. That is the same sentence the prosecutor asked for and the minimum for the offence in Finland. He will not serve time unless the conditions of the suspension are broken.

Why was Aleksib convicted of tax fraud?

He did not declare more than €53,000 of income from Valve sticker sales in his 2019 taxes, which caused his income tax to be assessed more than €28,000 too low. Aleksib admitted the income was not declared but said he did not know sticker money was taxable.

Is Aleksib going to jail?

No. The sentence is suspended, so he does not go to prison as long as he meets its conditions and commits no new offence during the probation period. The length of his probation period was not included in the reports on the verdict.

Can Aleksib still play for NAVI?

Yes. The verdict does not bar him from competing, and he kept playing for NAVI throughout the case. Neither NAVI nor Aleksib had commented publicly on the conviction at the time of writing.

Is CS2 sticker money taxable?

In Aleksib’s case, the Finnish court treated his Valve sticker payments as taxable income that had to be declared. Tax rules differ by country, so players and teams receiving sticker revenue should check with their local tax authority or a tax adviser.