Vasya Bandit said after the sentencing that he was pleased with the judges' decision.

A criminal boss named Vasya Bandit (real name Igor Kokunov), sentenced to 8 years and 2 months in a special regime penal colony, will spend the time allotted to appeal the verdict under house arrest. In a conversation with a correspondent of Izvestia on September 16, he noted that he was satisfied with the judge's decision.

"I am satisfied. I'll do something," Kokunov shared.

He also added that wild animals used to live on his estate: tigers, lynxes, lions, cougars, crocodiles and ostriches. His assistants took care of the animals. As for his health, the man admitted that he feels very bad. He left the courthouse in a wheelchair.

In July, Vasya Bandit was hospitalized with a stroke, but was sent to jail after his health stabilized, despite his chronic illnesses.

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The Moscow Regional Court found Kokunov guilty of occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy and sentenced him to eight years and two months in a special regime penal colony with a fine of 1 million rubles. Lawyer Maria Kazantseva asked to take into account the illness of her client.

Kokunov was arrested in June 2020, at the same time a criminal case was opened under Article 210.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Occupying the highest position in the criminal hierarchy"). According to investigators, Vasya Bandit has had this unspoken status and a corresponding sphere of influence since 1993. In Moscow, he was recognized as a so-called thief in law, which allowed him to control the activities of criminal structures in the territory of the Russian Federation.

The investigation was completed at the end of April 2021, and then the court placed Kokunov under house arrest. In February 2022, the day before the new meeting, he took off his bracelet and ran away. In 2023, Vasya Bandit was put on the international wanted list, and later he was detained at a checkpoint between Albania and Montenegro on an Interpol warrant. In the fall of 2024, Kokunov was extradited to Russia.

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