News

In Moscow Region, Ilya Sherman to stand trial, accused of stealing land plots of total value exceeding 500 million rubles

The Moscow Regional Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia has finished the investigation into Ilya Sherman accused of committing offence under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of Russia (swindling).

According to the investigation, from 2010 to 2012, Sherman and his accomplices had acquired the property rights for two plots of land of a total area of 177.4 square meters owned by the federal authorities and located near Romashkovo rural settlement in Odintsovo, by using forged documents and deceiving the staff of the Federal Property Management Agency in Moscow Region and the Federal Service for State Registration in Moscow Region. Both plots of land had been purchased from state for 39,000 rubles, although the actual value of the stolen property exceeded 640 million rubles.

Having launched the probe, officers of the Main Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Moscow Region established that Sherman had fled abroad and was subsequently placed on the international wanted list. Sherman managed to hide from the investigation for many years. However, due to the high-quality presentation of documents proving Sherman’s involvement in stealing the land, the Minister of Justice of the Italian Republic made the decision to extradite him to Russia. In February 2019, he was extradited by competent authorities of the Italian Republic.

Sherman did not plead guilty during the preliminary investigation. One of Sherman’s accomplices has already been sentenced to actual prison time, while others are still kept on the international wanted list.

The criminal case with the approved indictment has been sent to the court to be tried on the merits.