A Moscow court has sentenced a former governor of the Komi Republic, a region in Russia's northwest, to 11 years in prison after convicting him of fraud, money laundering, and bribe taking.
In a June 10 ruling, the Zamoskvoretsky district court also ruled that Vyacheslav Gaizer must pay a 160 million-ruble ($2.5 million) fine.
Gaizer and 18 other people, including the former speaker of the region's legislature, an ex-deputy governor, and several local businessmen, were arrested in September 2015.
Prosecutors charged that Gaizer led a "criminal group" that carried out a series of crimes in order to gain ownership of or control over several lucrative enterprises in the Komi region.
At the time of his arrest, investigators said that a search of Gaizer's office revealed a large sum of cash, documents related to offshore companies, and a collection of valuable wristwatches.
Gaizer was appointed to head the region in 2010 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev, and was then elected to the post in 2014.
Former Russian Governor Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison On Corruption Conviction
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