Got back to the old stuff

Pardoned prisoners from the Wagner PMC return to criminal activity, the authorities seek to hide the facts of new crimes

After serving in the Wagner PMC, pardoned prisoners begin to commit crimes again. “Vorstka” found in the data of the Russian court files fresh cases against soldiers returning from the front. At the same time, they try to remove their names and surnames from court documents, and information about crimes is not published on the websites of the Investigative Committee, the prosecutor's office or the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, now the authorities will not be able to punish them to the fullest extent of the law - the pardon has cleared their biography, and new convictions will not be toughened in connection with their past “merits”, as would have been the case before.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with war correspondents in the Kremlin on June 13. One of the topics of discussion was pardoned ex-prisoners from the Wagner PMC, who, having returned from Ukraine, again commit crimes . Putinstated that in such cases they “must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, no matter what happens.” And he noticed that among released fighters, only 0.4% relapse. Later, Yevgeny Prigozhin said that after the contract with the Wagner PMC, 32,000 ex-prisoners returned home, and the number of those who returned to criminal activity was 0.25% or 83 crimes.

There are no exact statistics on how often returning prisoners break the law again, but court data shows that such cases are becoming more and more regular.

High profile crimes

In the spring of 2023, several pardoned fighters from the Wagner PMC who returned from Ukraine found themselves accused of murder and pedophilia in Russia. So, according to investigators, in the Kirov region, 28-year-old Ivan Rossomakhin killed an 85-year-old pensioner. In the Krasnodar Territory, 31-year-old Demyan Kevorkian and his accomplices killed two animators. Both men now, if not for the war, would have served their previous sentences. Demyan Kevorkyan received an 18-year sentence for robbery and murder in 2016, and Rossomakhin also served a 14-year sentence for robbery and murder in 2020. But after participating in the “special operation” they received a pardon and were freed.

Another crime related to a pardonedsoldier of the Wagner PMC occurred in Novosibirsk. There, a 42-year-old man is accused of sexually assaulting two schoolgirls . His full name was not given.

All the accused were arrested. After this, the authorities did not report anything about their investigations into the case.

Death from overdose

On April 28, Smolensk media wrote about the death of a 16-year-old girl from Safonovo. The materials stated that the cause was a drug overdose, and that a 24-year-old young man was accused in this case. The publication Readovka67.ru wrote that he served in the Wagner PMC and participated in a special operation. No official statements were published on the websites of law enforcement agencies in this regard, and the authors of the materials referred to their own sources.

As “Layout” found out, the Safonovsky District Court initially sent the unknown suspect under house arrest on a particularly serious charge, but the Smolensk Regional Court overturned this decision and sent it for a new trial. According to Part 3 of Art. 230 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for inducing a minor to use drugs, resulting in his death , the man faces up to 15 years in prison. Although his relatives deny his guilt.

According to court records, Konstantin Zaikin from Yartsevo is accused in this case. Previously, he was convicted three times on drug charges, used drugs and was registered with a narcologist and a psychiatrist. In 2017, first the Yartsevo District Court under Part 1 of Art. 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for possession of heroin, he was sentenced to 1 year probation. And then the Vyazemsky District Court under Part 2 of Art. 228 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, he was sentenced to another 3 years of probation. In 2020, the Yartsevo District Court convicted him under Part 4 of Art. 228.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for attempted sale of heroin mixtures on a large scale to 8 years 9 months in a maximum security colony. Zaikin was supposed to be released only in 2026, but in August 2022 he received a presidential pardon.

In order not to miss new texts from “Layout”, subscribe to our telegram channel

Grand theft

According to the Tambov Regional Court, on March 30 in Michurinsk, a pardoned combatant was arrested for 2 months. There is no information about him in the case file. But from the data of the Michurinsky District Court it follows that this is Mikhail Shilaev. The man is accused of grand theft under Part 3 of Art. 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. For an unknown reason, he did not appear at his hearing on this case on June 27. No official information was published in the media or on the websites of law enforcement agencies about major thefts committed in Michurinsk, Tambov Region.

Moreover, earlier, in 2020, the Khimki City Court of the Moscow Region already sentenced Shilaev for theft and fraud under Art. 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to seven years in a maximum security colony. In 2017 and 2019, the man was convicted twice , also for theft and fraud.

Another former combatant stole 595 thousand rubles in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh region. His name and surname are unknown, while the resolution of the Voronezh Regional Court notes that he was previously pardoned by presidential decree.

Hooliganism with a weapon

The Tambov Regional Court recognized the arrest of the accused under Part 2 of Art. 213 of the Criminal Code for hooliganism with the use of weapons. The crime is considered serious and can be punished by up to 7 years. The court ruling states that the accused was previously pardoned by presidential decree, but instead of a name, only initials are indicated. According to the Petrovsky District Court of the Tambov Region, the accused is Nikolai Seryogin. Armed with a metal pipe, he attacked an employee of the Magnit store, because of whom he had scandals with his wife. The wife herself explained that she wanted to divorce Seryogin and take their joint child, so he threatened her.

At the same time, there is no information about the case opened by investigators against Seryogin on the official website of the Tambov Investigative Committee.

As follows from the court records, Seryogin was convicted three times for theft and drunk driving. In September 2019, the Petrovsky District Court again sentenced him to 4 years in a maximum security colony for theft and drunk driving. In 2022, Seryogin ended up in Ukraine.

Causing grievous bodily harm

The Supreme Court of Karelia in May refused to place Yuri Teterin, who had previously been pardoned by the president, under house arrest. By decision of the Belomorsky District Court of Karelia, he had been under arrest since April on charges of causing grievous bodily harm committed by a group of people. According to especially serious part 3 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation faces a punishment of up to 12 years.

There is no information about this crime in the White Sea media or on the website of the Karelian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Investigative Committee and the prosecutor’s office.

As follows from the data of the Belomorsky District Court, earlier in December 2021, Yuri Teterin was sentenced to 11 years in a maximum security colony under Part 1 and Part 3 of Art. 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and Part 1 of Art. 226 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for theft and theft of weapons.

Before this, Teterin was convicted six times : for car theft, violence against a government official, violation of the inviolability of the home, sale of property obtained by criminal means, and theft. In the spring of 2021, he also received a conviction under Part 4 of Art. 111 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for causing grievous bodily harm resulting in death: Teterin beat his drinking companion to death.

Despite the fact that soldiers returning from war are often repeat offenders with experience, they can count on a more lenient attitude from justice. The severity of the law that Putin announced at the meeting with military officers is impossible. After pardon, the biography of the convicted person is “reset”, and previous crimes no longer serve as aggravating circumstances, as would be the case in a regular trial.

Cover: Dmitry Osinnikov

Editorial "Layout"