MOSCOW, December 25 (Itar-Tass) — The Novosibirsk regional court on Tuesday sentenced gang leader Alexander Trunov to 22 years in a maximum security penitentiary, finding him guilty of masterminding four contract hits and other violent crimes, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.
The court ascertained that Trunov and six members of the gang had committed four murders, two attempted murders of business persons, attacked police and torched cars, in the period from 1997 through 2009.
The investigators found a cache of 40 firearms belonging to the gang.
"The crimes had been carefully planned; they were committed with the use of firearms, assault rifles and pistols of various models," the spokesman said.
The SK carried out much work to gather evidence against the gang members. Police were unable to rout the group because of "the professionalism of its members," Markin said.
It was a well-concealed hierarchical body which kept developing and perfecting. It comprised an armed group and units to together intelligence, protect the gang leaders, supply weapons to gang members and commit economic crimes.
The verdict was passed on the strength of jurors' verdict.
The defendants were found guilty of the crimes covered by Articles 209, 210, 105, 167, 111, 163, 159 of Russia’s penal code /"banditry, malicious destruction of other's property," "inflicting serious harm to health," "extortion" and "fraud"/.
The gang leader and four his accomplices got nine to 22 years in a maximum security prison, and another two gang members were given suspended sentences. The gang members are to pay over three million roubles in damages.