Russia: a scheme in which one woman's assigned role was to find elderly people and tell them a curse had been laid on them

Proceedings

1. 2019-11-20 · conviction and sentence at first instance

   Oktyabrsky District Court of Vladimir, Vladimir Oblast, Russia (Октябрьский районный суд г. Владимира). The defendant, anonymised in the published judgment as ФИО4, was convicted of fraud by deception committed by a group by prior conspiracy causing significant damage to a citizen under part 2 of article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and sentenced to 400 hours of compulsory work; her undertaking not to leave was cancelled and she was ordered to pay 11,500 roubles in compensation to a civil claimant. The court found that on 10 March 2019 she formed an intention 'to commit the theft of money from elderly citizens by deception, under the guise of removing a curse', and invited an acquaintance to take part, that person agreeing. The two 'divided the criminal roles between themselves in advance, according to which [the defendant] was to find elderly citizens, in the course of conversation with whom to tell them knowingly false information about a curse laid upon them, offering them her help in removing it'. The judgment records a loss of 21,000 roubles. The prosecution of the second participant was discontinued under article 25 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Documented coercion mechanisms

• an intention formed in advance to defraud elderly citizens specifically
• criminal roles divided between two participants before any victim was approached
• false statements that a curse had been laid on the person approached
• an offer of help in removing it