A court has recognized the evidence gathered by the investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee for the Novgorod Region sufficient to convict an organized criminal group headed by Eduard Rychko and composed of Alexey Kosikov, Vladimir Chaplygin, Andrey Nezhinsky, Sergey Khannanov and police officer Andrey Vasilyev. They were found guilty of 31 counts of crimes under paragraph “a” of part 4 of article 158 of the RF Penal Code (theft by an organized group). In addition 16 drivers of heavy haulers transporting goods and CEO of one of carrier companies in the city of Saint-Petersburg of crimes under paragraphs “a”, “b” of part 2 of article 158 of the RF Penal Code (theft committed by a group of people in a previous concert with breaking into a storage) and paragraph “c” of part 3 of article 158 (theft on a large scale).
According to investigators, in January 2013, 45-year-old resident of Veliky Novgorod Eduard Rychko set up an organized criminal group to regularly steal goods from the containers transported by heavy haulers on the Rossia federal motorway. During the investigation it was found that Rychko conspired with drivers and the latter for a fee gave them and other active members of the group an opportunity to steal part of goods from containers. After that the defendants opened containers not breaking the seals or locks in a specially rented hangar in Veliky Novgorod and stole part of goods, which then were sold as goods confiscated by the customs in the outlets in Nizhny Novgorod and Novgorod District. Between January and August 2013, until their activity was broken up by the officers of the Novgorod Region Office of the Russian Interior Ministry, the members of Rychko group had committed 31 theft worth in total about 3.5 million rubles.
At the closing stage of the investigation all of the defendants admitted their guilt and appealed for the court to try their case in by a special order.
The court has given 17 defendants suspended sentences between 1.5 and 3 years 4 months in prison and sentenced 6 members of the criminal group to between 4 years 7 months and 5 years 9 months to be served in a minimum-security colony.
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