Irkutsk Regional Court convicted of a series of murders former deputy of the Duma of the city of Bratsk Vadim Molyakov, known in the criminal environment as Molyak. He received a sentence of 25 years in a strict regime colony, the exact same term he is already serving for the murder of the deputy prosecutor of Bratsk. Molyak’s accomplices, Denis Kruglyanin and Daniil Sazykin, were sentenced to 13 and 9 years in a strict regime colony. Just over a year ago, by a jury decision, all three pleaded not guilty to the murders. However, in September last year, the Fifth Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Novosibirsk overturned the acquittal and sent the case back for review.
On Thursday, June 30, the Irkutsk Regional Court, with the participation of jurors, delivered a verdict against three local residents who are considered representatives of the so-called fraternal organized criminal group. Vadim Molyakov (Molyak), Denis Kruglyanin and Daniil Sazykin were found guilty of committing a series of crimes under several paragraphs and parts of Art. 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder). Depending on the role and degree of participation, they were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment with serving a sentence in a strict regime colony. The most severe punishment – 25 years was given to Vadim Molyakov, 13 years to serve to Denis Kruglyanin, 9 years to Daniil Sazykin. According to a source familiar with the course of the trial, the defendants listened to the verdict calmly and did not publicly express any dissatisfaction or disagreement. The verdict did not enter into force.
As Kommersant was told in the press service of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Irkutsk Region, the court established that men committed seven murders and one attempt in the period from 2001 to 2002 in the process of redistributing the spheres of commercial and criminal influence on the territory of Taishet and the Taishet region.
“Shortly before this, the defendants, who are related to the activities of criminal structures in the cities of Bratsk and Taishet, Irkutsk region, attracted more than ten citizens in order to take over the forest business in the Taishet region. Later, the members of the criminal group committed the murders of two persons who could influence the criminal and commercial situation in the logging sector and five more people from their inner circle. In addition, an attempt was made to murder the son of one of the previously killed representatives of the business community in the city of Krasnoyarsk,” the ministry said.
A source familiar with the investigation, shared the details of the crimes committed. First of all, two entrepreneurs and leaders of local criminal groups were killed – in March and August 2001. The crimes were committed according to a similar scheme: the victims were watched for near their homes, using firearms – a pistol and a sawed-off shotgun. The son of one of the businessmen managed to hide in Krasnoyarsk. In July 2002, one of the killers found him, but the victim was lucky at the last minute to escape literally from under the weapon pointed at him.
In December 2002, criminals in one of the private houses of Taishet captured a group of five supporters and partners of the murdered businessmen and took them to the banks of the Biryusinka River.
“People were pulled out one by one from the group, shot, the bodies were cold-bloodedly dismembered with an ax and the remains were thrown into the water. The rest sat, watched and silently waited for their fate. Only the last of the survivors asked for mercy, he was killed, but they did not dismember the body, ”the source describes the bloodiest crime.
At present, the involvement of all persons in the murders has been established. Criminal cases against one more of their organizers and accomplices are separated into a separate proceeding.
It is worth noting that in January last year, the Irkutsk Regional Court already considered the case of Vadim Molyakov, Denis Kruglyanin and Daniil Sazykin on these facts, and the men were acquitted by the decision of the jury. However, in September, the acquittal was overturned by the Fifth Court of Appeal of General Jurisdiction in Novosibirsk.
“During the consideration of the criminal case, a number of significant violations were committed that influenced the issuance of a verdict by jurors: the absence of victims in court hearings, the restriction of the rights of victims to debate the parties, the systematic and gross violation by the defense of the Code of Criminal Procedure, misinformation of the testimony of persons who entered into pre-trial agreements,” – the Court of Appeal ruled, returning the case to the Irkutsk regional instance.
The 25-year sentence was the second for Vadim Molyakov. He is currently serving the same term for the murder of Alexander Sinitsyn, the first deputy prosecutor of Bratsk.
“Kommersant”, 06/11/2008, “The accused of the murder of the deputy prosecutor of Bratsk were not released”: Recall that Vadim Molyakov was detained at the Irkutsk airport on April 9 by employees of the Investigative Committee and the regional department of the FSB. He was charged with organizing the murder (art. 105, art. 33 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) of Alexander Sinitsyn on January 5, 1999. Together with a fraternal deputy, the former head of the internal affairs department of Bratsk, Vladimir Utvenko, and the head of the Irkutsk regional branch of the LDPR, Vladimir Zagorodnikov, were arrested in the same case. […]
Vadim Molyakov is a native brother. In the Irkutsk region, he is known as the president of the boxing federation. He was elected to the City Duma of Bratsk in 2005 and works as Deputy General Director for Innovations and Investments of Siberian Forest LLC. Vladimir Zagorodnikov, in parallel with his political activities, is also engaged in the forestry business, only in Ust-Ilimsk – he heads PKP Business LLC. Vladimir Utvenko, who unsuccessfully ran for the fraternal City Duma, combines the posts of director at the fraternal MP Argofirma Pursey and general director at OJSC Bratsk-Agro. From 1993 to 1998, Vladimir Utvenko headed the Department of Internal Affairs of Bratsk.
The UPC does not talk about the progress of the investigation and versions of the murder of Alexander Sinitsin, emphasizing only that the murder was connected with his professional activities. Unofficially, a Kommersant source in law enforcement agencies said that Alexander Sinitsin seriously took up the fraternal criminal community, which by that time already had an extensive network in other regions, for example, in Tatarstan and St. Petersburg. Alexander Sinitsin, as the first deputy prosecutor of Bratsk, resumed several previously suspended criminal cases against members of the fraternal OPS, fought against corruption in the police. Prosecutor Sinitsin repeatedly made submissions to the head of the Internal Affairs Directorate, Vladimir Utvenko. At the end of 1998, Vladimir Utvenko left his post of his own free will. — Inset K.ru
Taiga.info, 07/01/2022, “Ex-deputy and members of his group convicted of murders during the redistribution of the timber business in the Irkutsk region”: Vadim Molyakov was born in Bratsk in 1962. His detailed biography can be found on the website of the Bratsk Duma, of which he was a deputy in the 2000s. There, in particular, in addition to places of work, it is indicated that he was the president of the boxing confederation of the Irkutsk region. He headed the Board of Trustees of the fraternal branch of the Russian Public Charitable Foundation for Veterans (Pensioners) of War, Labor and the Armed Forces. In 2004, he was elected Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sibirsky Les LLC, since 2006 – Deputy General Director for Innovations and Investments of Sibirsky Les LLC. In 2011, Vadim Molyakov was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Alexander Sinitsyn, the first deputy prosecutor of Bratsk, in 1999, Taiga.info wrote earlier. Together with him, the former coordinator of the LDPR branch, Viktor Zagorodnikov, and the former head of the Internal Affairs Directorate of Bratsk, Vladimir Utvenko, were in the dock.
Molyakov was found guilty of aiding the creation of a gang and organizing the murder of Sinitsyn. The contractors received an order for elimination in the fall of 1998. It was pointed out that Molyakov personally experienced hostile attitude towards Sinitsyn. The prosecutor also interfered with Utvenko – he raised a question before the regional police department about bringing the security official to disciplinary responsibility.
At the time of the murder, two accomplices were at the entrance to the courtyard of Sinitsyn’s house – they blocked the passage with a car. The third gave a signal to the direct executor about the approach of Sinitsyn. When the prosecutor entered the entrance, the fourth participant in the crime fired twice at Sinitsyn.
The first deputy prosecutor was investigating the most serious crimes committed in Bratsk. The investigation into his murder lasted for many years: in 2001 the investigation was suspended (did not produce results), in April 2008 it was resumed due to the appearance of suspects. — Inset K.ru
Alexander Sinitsyn oversaw the work of the police and the fight against organized criminal communities. He was shot on January 5, 1999 at the entrance of his house. The crime was solved only in 2008.
At the beginning of 2022, the name of Alexander Sinitsyn was immortalized in Bratsk. By the decision of the city authorities, his name was given to school No. 6, where he studied, and a memorial plaque was opened on the building of the city prosecutor’s office.
