Richard Heart detained in Istanbul over Interpol Red Notice

Richard Heart, whose legal name is Richard James Schueler, and his wife, identified as A.K., were reportedly taken into custody at an address in Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district on Oct. 14, 2026. Police had been monitoring the address before the operation.

Istanbul police intelligence and financial-crimes units carried out the operation with support from Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization, according to the report. The investigation involving Schueler and his wife was continuing.

The Finnish case dates to 2024, when police suspected Schueler of gross tax evasion and assault. A Finnish court ordered him held in custody in absentia on Sept. 13, 2024. That means the order was issued while he was not present in Finland.

Reported search findings included cash in U.S. dollars, euros and Turkish lira, as well as gold jewelry, watches and electronic devices. Police also reportedly found three pistols and four long-barreled rifles. The reported seizures do not establish whether the property was linked to any alleged offense.

An Interpol Red Notice asks police in member countries to locate and temporarily detain a person while authorities consider extradition or another legal process. It is not an international arrest warrant. Each country decides what action to take under its own laws, and people named in Red Notices remain presumed innocent.

The reported detention did not indicate that Schueler had been extradited to Finland.

Heart also faced a separate civil case in the United States. The Securities and Exchange Commission sued Heart, HEX, PulseChain and PulseX in 2023, alleging that the projects conducted unregistered crypto offerings that raised more than $1 billion. The SEC also alleged that Heart and PulseChain diverted at least $12 million for luxury purchases.

U.S. District Judge Carol Bagley Amon dismissed the SEC’s case on Feb. 28, 2025, citing issues involving personal jurisdiction and the U.S. transactions or conduct described in the complaint. The SEC was allowed to amend its complaint. The ruling was separate from the Finnish allegations.