October 17, 2024

Cryptocrime and Punishment


Cryptocrime and Punishment
A virtual bribe worth billions.  RussianLife files

A former investigator for the Tverskoy District in Moscow has been sentenced to 16 years in a penal colony for accepting the largest bribes in modern Russian history.

Marat Tambiev was found guilty of receiving ten bribes, one of which amounted to 7.3 billion rubles ($77.3 million), four counts of preparing to receive a bribe, and of abuse of office. 

Tambiev received these bribes from members of an organized crime group called the Infraud Organization between 2020 and 2022. The bribes were mostly paid in Bitcoin by members Mark and Konstantin Bergman, as well as Estonian citizen Kirill Samokutyaev.

In addition to his time in a penal colony, Tambiev has been banned from holding leadership positions for 12 years, stripped of his rank, and fined R500 million ($5.2 million). 

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