In Odesa region, taxi driver sentenced to seven years in prison for trying to make money on fugitives from Ukraine

The Velykomykhailivskyi District Court of Odesa Region found the man guilty of transferring illegal benefits and smuggling people across the state border.

As noted in the court' s verdict, the convict was sentenced to two years in prison for attempting to bribe a border guard, and seven years for smuggling men across the border - the larger sentence was combined with the smaller one and the man was sentenced to seven years in prison.

According to the case file, on March 17, the man offered a border guard $1,000 for each man he planned to transfer abroad for providing information on the location of border patrols. Then he raised the price to 1,500 dollars and, having found two people willing to illegally leave Ukraine, came with them to Velyka Mykhailivka, where he paid the border guard 1,500 dollars and received the necessary information.

However, he did not have time to use the information, because when the convict moved 50 meters away from the meeting with the border guard, he was detained.

At the court hearing, the defendant pleaded guilty to the criminal offenses and confirmed the facts of the case. He explained to the court that he worked as a taxi driver and sometimes drove a border guard to work. His acquaintances who were involved in smuggling people across the border suggested that he do the same. He agreed, and then, taking advantage of the fact that he knew his regular passenger well, he offered to tell him for a reward how and where to get to the border and cross it without hindrance. On the appointed day and time, his acquaintance brought two people to the outskirts of the village of Velyka Mykhailivka, from where he took them to his home.

The acquaintance also gave him money for the border guard in the amount of 1,500 dollars and gave him an advance of 100 dollars. He sincerely repents for his actions, saying that he committed the crime because he needed money, although he had enough money when he was taxiing, and that he will not commit crimes again.

Кирило Бойко