Prisoner sentenced to eight more years for blackmailing woman

Prosecutors from the Chisinau City Prosecutor’s Office have obtained a sentence against two men accused of blackmail.

According to the indictment filed by the state prosecutors, the first defendant, aged 37, in April 2019, serving his sentence in Penitentiary no.4, Cricova, Chisinau municipality, pursuing the purpose of illicitly acquiring the property of another person, through social networks “www.ok.ru” and “Viber”, presenting himself under о false identity, but without hiding the fact that he was a prisoner, initiated discussions with a woman, gaining her trust. As a result of the conversations, he obtained a nude photo of her.

Further, during May-June 2019, the defendant contacted the same injured party via the “Viber” and “WhatsApp” network, presenting himself as a police employee, and misled her that, having conducted о search of the defendant’s cell, a mobile phone containing her nude image had been detected and picked up, telling her that she risked о possible prosecution for making pornographic material available to the prisoner in prison. Thus, he unlawfully induced her to make money transfers totalling 3475 euros. At the same time, in order to obtain the money acquired through blackmail, the accused lured two other convicts into criminal activity, who were to organise the collection of the money transfers.

In this regard, the latter, through his relatives, without specifying the circumstances, organized the collection of the stolen funds.

On 22 September 2023, the Buiucani Court of Chisinau passed sentence on the case. The 37-year-old defendant was sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment with a fine of 100,000 lei.

He pleaded not guilty.

One of his accomplices was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment suspended for a probation period of one year, and the criminal proceedings against the second accomplice were terminated on account of the death of the perpetrator.

The sentence is not final and may be appealed within 15 days to the Chisinau Court of Appeal.

Note: A person accused of committing a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a final court decision.