Ex-bailiff head on trial for million-ruble fraud

The former head of the bailiff service department is to stand trial on charges of fraud involving 1 million rubles (approximately $10,000 at current rates). According to investigators, he received the money as a bribe, but it never reached the intended recipients.

The indictment was approved by the prosecutor«s office of Pervorechensky District, Vladivostok. The defendant is the ex-head of the bailiff department for Leninsky District of the city. He faces a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 159 of the Russian Criminal Code — fraud on a large scale.

The investigation established that the corruption scheme unfolded about 10 years ago — between November 2015 and March 2016. At that time, the accused, acting in the interests of an official of the Kray State Unitary Enterprise (KSUE) Primteploenergo, offered his services as an intermediary to pass a bribe.

The amount was substantial — 1 million rubles (approximately $10,000 at current rates). According to the bribe-giver, the money was intended for employees of the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia for Primorsky Krai (UFSSP). The payment was supposed to ensure «non‑adoption of measures to seize the enterprise’s settlement accounts» — in other words, that bailiffs would turn a blind eye to debts. However, as later became clear, the scheme was much simpler and more cynical.

«Having misled the bribe-giver regarding the true intentions of transferring the money, the accused stole that sum and disposed of it at his own discretion,» the case materials state.

The bribe never reached the supposed recipients, and the defendant continued his career within the system. Later, he served as head of the bailiff department for enforcement of documents concerning legal entities in Vladivostok.

Now, almost 10 years later, the investigation is complete and the materials have been sent to the Pervorechensky District Court of Vladivostok. The prosecutor«s office specified that criminal cases concerning other possible participants in this affair have been separated into a separate proceeding.

If found guilty, the former high-ranking bailiff service employee faces a real prison term — large‑scale fraud is a serious crime. The punishment could include a fine of 100,000 to 500,000 rubles ($1,000 to $5,000 at current rates) or a fine equal to income for one to three years. It may also include compulsory labor for up to five years with or without restriction of freedom for up to two years. Alternatively, imprisonment of up to six years with a fine of up to 80,000 rubles ($800 at current rates) or a fine equal to half a year’s income, with or without restriction of freedom for up to one and a half years.