Investigative bodies of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in Nizhny Novgorod Region completed the investigation of a criminal case against members of an organized group who are charged, depending on the role of each member, with crimes specified in Part 4 of Article 159 (fraud--2 episodes), Paragraph B of Part 4 of Article 174.1 (legalization of criminally acquired property--2 episodes), Part 1 of Article 292 (official forgery--32 episodes) of the Criminal Code of Russia.

According to the investigators, from April 2013 till October 2016, a 33-year-old entrepreneur conducting activities in Bogorodsky District (sale of gardening goods) had organized a group composed of a 60-year-old former head of one of the community administrations, a 46-year-old real estate agent, and two residents of Nizhny Novgorod Region (54 and 55 years old).

In order to acquire the title to undeveloped land plots in Bogorodsky District, the former head of community administration had made false documents of title with knowingly fraudulent information about the possession of the land plots by persons who had not been aware of their intentions and then the state of registration of the ownership had been effected.

In the said period, the members of the group had misappropriated 59 state-owned land plots causing damage to the budget in the amount of over 70 million rubles.

Additionally, in 2009, the entrepreneur, the head of the community administration, and the real estate agent had appropriated one land plot with the value of over 2 million rubles. In total, the accused persons had misappropriated 60 land plots worth over 73 million rubles. The land plots had been legalized through fictitious sale-purchase agreements with proxies.

In the course of the investigation of the criminal case, the investigators of the Investigative Committee seized all of the said misappropriated state-owned land plots.

Only one member of the organized group admitted his guilt. Currently, the criminal case is sent to the court to be tried on the merits.