Hi Prof.,
These are good questions. I suppose there would be little he can do about the IP issue. If it affects SEO then this would be a bad option.
As far as the other issues, I’ve known this guy for a long time. In fact, he used to be my business partner when I had business in Moscow. We’ve always had to work past the reputation that many Russians get. There is definitely not a mafia connection here. But we could find you one if you want 