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The evidence collected by the Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in the Central Federal District was recognized sufficient to convict Vladimir Golban and Sergei Filippenko. They were found guilty of the murder of the governor of Magadan region Valentin Tsvetkov.

The investigators established a witness who remembered the number of the car, quickly escaped from the scene. The owner was found and the investigators began to check his acquaintances. Thus, the organizers and executors of the contract murder of the Governor were established: Martin Babakehyan, Alexander Zakharov, Artur Anisimov, Masis Ahunts, Vladimir Golban and Sergei Filippenko. Some of these individuals were part of a Golban gang, which operated in Vladivostok, and had experience in the preparation and execution of murder and concealing the traces of a crime. The investigators have carried out a huge work, including establishing and questioning of more than 100 witnesses, they conducted more than 40 forensic examinations, which allowed them to collect evidence, which in 2011 formed the basis of the conviction to four suspects.

Investigators and the court found that in August 2002 in Moscow Golban received an order to kill the governor of the Magadan region Tsvetkov for consideration in the amount of 100 thousand U.S. dollars, created an organized criminal group, in which Filipenko and others entered for the promised reward. Voluntarily united members of an organized criminal group were in close contact with each other, regularly communicated with each other at personal meetings and through mobile phones. Golban with others assigned the roles in a crime, according to which: Golban and other members of the criminal group acted as the organizers, planned the crime, and performed coordination of the actions of Filippenko and others. It was Filippenko who should have rented apartments and houses in Moscow and the Moscow region, where the members of an organized group planned to hide in the preparation period and after committing the crime, he should have found out a residence and work schedule of Tsvetkov, he should have carried out covert surveillance of his movements in Moscow.

October 18, 2002, in the morning, all participants of the crime, according to the developed plan and distribution of criminal roles, took up their positions in Moscow near the place chosen for the murder of Tsvetkov, as well as near the house where he lived. At a time when Tsvetkov, accompanied by Deputy Chief of Mission of the Magadan region of the Government of the Russian Federation P. Shapka was heading into the Mission of the Magadan region premises, located on Novy Arbat Street in Moscow, one of the members of the organized crime group fired from a pistol to the head of Tsvetkov. After that, he fired in Shapka, but missed. Tsvetkov died of wounds.

The Court sentenced Golban to 15 years of imprisonment in a colony of special regime, and by cumulation of crimes, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, Filippenko was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment in maximum security penal colony.