Omsk man's prison fears over drug conviction

Young Omsk resident Roman (name changed) lived an ordinary life: he had a business in freight transportation, was married, and raised two children. But one day he responded to a job posting on social media and ended up in the defendant’s dock. In 2022, he was sentenced to 16 years for drug trafficking. It was a lust for profit, he says now, and he paid the price.

NGS55.RU correspondent Anastasia Chesnokova met with our protagonist within the walls of treatment and correctional institution No. 2 in the village of Beregovoy: Roman is currently serving his sentence there. The man honestly recounted how he ended up in such a situation, what the world behind bars looks like, and what he thinks about his future in freedom.

He wanted to go to Kazakhstan, but ended up in a colony

Before me is a 35-year-old man, a brunette with brown eyes and an uncertain gaze. He is wearing a black prison uniform consisting of a jacket and pants, with black boots. His prison experience is evident—a gray patch on the suit just below the shoulders. He was born in Omsk and is educated as a builder. At 32, he needed money for his son’s surgery and to pay off loans, and then he was offered a job with good conditions.

«They wrote to me. I don’t remember the nickname. Are you interested in work? It doesn’t require much effort. Flexible schedule. Minimal employment. Pays well. They offered me a role as a stash keeper. They package it, others pick up the narcotics and distribute them. I didn’t want to agree, I said: “I have financial problems”», — Roman began his story.

Initially, he refused and thought about it for about a month, our interlocutor says. But the thirst for easy money ultimately prevailed. The first stash was a trial; the client wanted to check if Roman could handle the job.

«They offered the first trial stash. To check that I wouldn’t cheat. I agreed. I took the coordinates, went to another city, hid it, took a photo, and left. They said everything was fine. I’ll work further. They sent the money», — says the prisoner.

For the first trip, he received 20,000 rubles (approximately $200 at current rates). Additionally, they paid him another 100,000 rubles (approximately $1,000 at current rates) as motivation.

«They just gave 100,000 as an advance. Maybe that’s what lured me. I didn’t want to. They said: “You’ll leave, come back, we’ll give you more”», — the man shares.

He spent the earned money on paying off a loan, but it still wasn’t enough. According to him, the difficult financial situation persisted. His son still needed the surgery.

Now he faced a more difficult task—to transport drugs across the state border, which, as it turned out, was closed to Roman due to debts. Telling this, the former stash keeper gets nervous. He fidgets with his fingers, lowers his gaze, and carefully chooses his words.

The drugs needed to be delivered from Kazakhstan. After calling the bailiff and claiming the debt was paid, the Omsk resident went to the neighboring country by taxi. He hoped the border would be open and there would be no problems.

«I paid. I had to wait a certain amount of time for the border to open. I stopped at a hotel not far from it. Time passed, money was running out, and I decided to go by train».

Roman was caught when they checked his documents. At that time, the drugs were in his bag. According to our protagonist, he didn’t have time to hide them well.

«My bag was on top. The border guards approached and said: “Did you recently change your documents?”. I said: “No”. Well, wait a moment, they said. We drove to the checkpoint, I got out, they took the bag and went into the border service. That’s where they found it», — said Roman.

«If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed for any money»

The Omsk resident was immediately arrested. He did not deny guilt and confessed to everything. Roman did not expect such a long sentence.

«I didn’t know about the article. It starts from 15 years. I have attempted sales, Article 228 part 5. I didn’t expect it to be this much. If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed for any money», — the man admits.

The prisoner’s family did not know what he was doing. He said he had gone on a business trip. The children still think their dad is in another city. But soon they will have to be told the truth—the kids are six and eight years old and are starting to figure things out. Mostly, Roman is visited by his wife and parents; sometimes he writes them letters.

«My wife comes, the children are in school. My daughter started first grade. Everyone is understanding. My parents know everything and support me. No one abandons me», — says the Omsk resident.

Now Roman has grown accustomed to his new life—he works at a sewing production and in his free time reads Brown and Riggs. Over four years in the colony, he has had to realize and accept many things.

«Everything in life has changed, my views have shifted. I’ve matured a lot. Many things look different now, in any case. Values have become different».

He has two fears—his wife leaving the family and his parents dying. He will be released when he is 48 years old.

«There are still some fears. I’m afraid my wife will leave, that my parents won’t be there. If I get out, who will I be, how long will it take. More questions than answers».

When asked if Roman was frightened by the fact that he was distributing narcotics, knowing how many people die from them, the man briefly answered: «It frightened me», but the thirst for easy money became stronger. At the end of our conversation, Roman addressed those who might be at a crossroads, as he once was.

«Don’t chase easy money, — he says, — they can lead you to where I am now. Cherish your family, your loved ones. And remember that freedom—is the most valuable thing we have».

In the man’s eyes, there is no longer the uncertainty that was there at the start of the conversation. There is determination, hope, and a desire to correct the past. And perhaps this inner strength will help him return to a normal life after serving his sentence.