News

The evidence collected by the Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasian Federal District was recognized by the court as sufficient for sentencing Olga Shvetsova, the former prosecutor of Iristonsky Raion of the city of Vladikavkaz in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania. She was found guilty of committing a crime under Part 4 of Article 33, paragraph “zh” Part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (aiding and abetting in the commission of a murder by a group of persons by prior conspiracy, for motives of gain). The case’s operational support was carried out by the Directorate of the FSB of Russia in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

The investigation and the court have established that in 2012 Shvetsova, during a meeting in Moscow with Aslan Gagiev, the head of a criminal community, persuaded him to commit the murder of her sister’s ex-husband Alexander Leonov, who was an investigator of the Moscow Interregional Investigation Department for Transport of the IC of Russia. That way, she wanted to help her sister avoid litigation initiated by her ex-spouse on the division of property jointly acquired during the marriage and on civil claims to recover more than 25 million rubles from her. The accused gave Gagiev a photo of Leonov and provided information about his place of residence.

At the time of committing the crime, Shvetsova held the position of the prosecutor of Iristonsky Raion of the city of Vladikavkaz in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania.

Instructed by Gagiev, the members of the said criminal community – Artur Dzhioev, Evgeny Yashkin, and three others – distributed roles among themselves and conducted preliminary surveillance of the victim to collect information. On September 12, 2012, Alexander Leonov was murdered by them with firearms in the city of Moscow.

By the court verdict, Shvetsova was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be served in a general regime penal colony.

As previously reported, through the proper organization of work and effective interaction of the IC of Russia with other law enforcement agencies, the head of the criminal community, Gagiev, was extradited to the Russian Federation from the Republic of Austria. The criminal case against him with the passed criminal indictment was filed to the Southern District Military Court, where it is currently being considered on the merits. In addition, a procedure has been organized to obtain the consent of the competent authorities of Austria to charge Gagiev with other committed crimes that became known to the investigation during the course of his extradition procedure.

To date, 24 members of the criminal community, including Dzhioev and Yashkin, have been sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, including life imprisonment; a criminal case of 12 members of the criminal community is being considered by the 2nd Western District Military Court; 7 members have been put on the international wanted list; and 7 members were killed as a result of internal conflicts between 2010 and 2014.

The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the North Caucasus Federal District continues to carry out the necessary investigative actions aimed at establishing all the circumstances of the committed crimes and bringing the respective perpetrators to criminal responsibility.