Former Defense Ministry official unexpectedly sentenced to 5 years in prison

A judge has sentenced Evgeniya Vasilyeva to five years in prison, ignoring prosecutors’ request to give the former high-ranking Defense Ministry official an 8-year suspended sentence.

Vasilyeva was recently convicted of real estate fraud that cost the government roughly 3 billion rubles (about $60 million) in damages. Vasilyeva was taken into police custody in court, immediately after sentencing.

Another four suspects in the case received similar prison sentences.

The case against Vasilyeva ended the career of former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, whom Vasilyeva is thought to have deceived. An investigation into Serdyukov’s involvement in the real estate scheme was halted when President Putin granted him amnesty in March 2014.

Throughout her trial, Vasilyeva has often acted outlandishly, becoming a widely disliked figure by many in Russia. In October 2014, she even released a bizarre music video, titled Slippers, which now has more than 2.2 million views.

• For more on Vasilyeva's case, see: *Prosecutors don’t want to lock up the official who stole 3 billion rubles*