|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Since being charged with felony labor violations, the two lead coaches and public faces of a Dublin-based fencing studio have been temporarily suspended by the sport’s overseeing organization, USA Fencing.
The ongoing criminal case against former Ukraine national team fencer Bogdan Dolzhenko and his wife, Jeanne Amistoso, centers on allegations of bilking immigrant instructors from Eastern Europe. Alameda County prosecutors last month charged Dolzhenko with 12 counts and special allegations and Amistoso with four felonies, one misdemeanor and potential enhancements.
As the couple — who have denied the allegations through their lawyers — gear up for a pretrial hearing scheduled for next week, Dolzhenko’s attorney, Julia Jayne, confirmed that operations continue at Prime Fencing Academy with instructor Illia Bilko at the helm.
Meanwhile, tensions remain in the Tri-Valley fencing community. Dmytro Farionov, one of the four victims named in the criminal complaint, has publicly spoken out about his experience at the company.
“This club operates entirely on deception — toward children, parents and coaches,” Farionov told the Pleasanton Weekly.
Farionov’s allegations of wage theft, deficient lesson time and fraudulence surrounding fencing equipment have all been rejected by the defense.
“Claims of underpayment, shortened lessons or dishonest sales are absolutely false,” Jayne said on behalf of both defendants. “These accusations originated with a rival studio looking to put Prime Fencing out of business and a small number of individuals motivated by financial gain, not by truth.”
According to the USA Fencing website, the temporary suspension of Dolzhenko and Amistoso affects their “ability to coach” at Prime Fencing Academy as well as participate at any event sanctioned by the organization. Officials at USA Fencing did not respond for further comment.
“The USA Fencing temporary administrative suspension lasted only a few days and did not involve any finding of misconduct, and Prime Fencing Academy is now fully back in business with the knowledge and approval of USA Fencing,” Jayne said.
“Prime Fencing Academy LLC is now restructured and therefore, permitted to operate,” Jayne explained. “The managed member of the LLC is Illia Bilko.”
In a previous statement by Jayne and Amistoso’s attorney, Emily Dahm, the coaching couple were said to have “operated Prime Fencing Academy ethically”. The attorneys also stated a goal of “restoring our clients’ and their business’s well-deserved good reputation”.
According to an amendment filed Jan. 20 with the California Secretary of State, Amistoso was the sole manager of Prime Fencing Academy LLC. A separate filing received by the Secretary of State’s Office about two hours later states that Ruchi Nayyar was a manager or member.
On Jan. 26, a third filing with the Secretary of State states that Bilko is a manager or member of the LLC.
As of Feb. 17, Dolzhenko and Amistoso remain on the list of temporarily suspended individuals and organizations on the USA Fencing website.
Ex-employee Farionov said he arrived in the U.S. from Poland and worked at Prime Fencing Academy from April 2024 to May 2025.
For the first month of employment, Farionov said he received no pay. Dolzhenko later paid him $1,000 for a second month of work, far below his promise of $2,000 to $2,500 monthly and housing, according to Farionov.
Farionov alleged Dolzhenko forced or persuaded parents to purchase private lessons for their children, and that lessons were short-changed if parents were absent from the studio.
“He did not care that children came to learn and improve,” Farionov told the Weekly.
He also alleged that families were scammed out of fencing equipment from the club store, with children never receiving equipment or getting items different than the ones they purchased.
Upon asking for a salary increase and an employment contract, Farionov said Dolzhenko denied or delayed the conversation until he sent the first contract without specifying work hours or pay.
According to Farionov, he and other employees declined to sign the contract. Dolzhenko allegedly threatened to fire the instructors and evict them from an apartment.
The defense attorney says records do not corroborate the working hours alleged by accusers.
“These individuals came to Prime Fencing Academy voluntarily to train with one of the top coaches in the sport, Bogdan Dolzhenko, and the narrative of exploitation is a serious mischaracterization of what actually occurred,” Jayne said.
The criminal case continues to work its way through the Alameda County Superior Court. The defendants were arraigned Jan. 22, and they are scheduled for a pretrial hearing next Tuesday (Feb. 24), according to court records.
The status of a pending federal investigation is not yet clear, as Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
Police: Mother, son killed in shooting in neighborhood near Ken Mercer Sports ParkFebruary 18, 2026 5:47 pm
Livermore Valley vines uprooted amid industry-wide challenges. What's next?February 19, 2026 10:36 am