Beryozovsky Court Sentences Former Crime Boss to 17 Years for Murder

The court found Ovchinnikov guilty of murder committed on January 4, 2025. According to the investigation, he came to the healer, known as Lesha the Sorcerer, in the village of Kedrovka to congratulate him on the New Year and discuss treatment. A conflict arose between the men, during which the accused stabbed Surodeev twice and fled the scene.

Andrei Ovchinnikov denies any involvement in the crime. He confirmed the fact of the meeting but rejected the murder charges. «I came to congratulate the person on the New Year, consciously. It»s a tribute of respect,« Ovchinnikov said. »He was in absolutely normal [health condition], came out to the car, saw me off, said goodbye, and left. I left around twelve o«clock, I guess. In the morning the next day, they call me and say that Uncle Lesha was stabbed.»

Taking into account a previous sentence in another case, the former crime boss was given 17 years of imprisonment in a strict-regime colony, as reported by the regional prosecutor«s office.

In recent months, the defendant repeatedly complained of deteriorating health. In autumn, he was found unconscious in his cell, urgently taken to intensive care, and underwent heart surgery.

The victim of the crime, Alexei Surodeev, held significant authority in the criminal world. Twenty years ago, he was closely associated with the «blue» gang and the thief-in-law Trof, but later became known as a psychic and healer, to whom many Sverdlovsk crime bosses came for treatment.

In early January, Surodeev was taken to the Beryozovsky hospital with a stab wound to the abdomen, where he died ten days later.

Previously, Andrei Ovchinnikov was tried for organizing the abduction of a person and illegal possession of weapons. He himself claimed that the case was fabricated by an investigator, who was later convicted of falsifying evidence. Initially, the court acquitted Ovchinnikov, but after a new criminal case was initiated, he was sentenced to seven and a half years of imprisonment.

Shortly before the sentencing, the former crime boss in an exclusive interview told how he and his friends embarked on a criminal path, then stepped away from it, having survived four assassination attempts and spending a quarter of his life in prison. He also explained what he does now and why he has an extremely negative attitude towards criminal romance.