Prosecutors of the Lviv Specialized Defense Prosecutor’s Office of the Western region proved in court the guilt of three members of a criminal group that had long engaged in racketeering and intimidated local residents.
By the ruling of the Stryi City District Court:
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the organizer was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison;
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the other two participants received 7 years of imprisonment each.
How the group operated
The investigation revealed that the trio, all previously convicted residents of Lviv region, created artificial conflicts and extorted money. They forced people to pay off fictitious “debts” and demanded regular payments for alleged “protection.”
Their victims included both local residents and internally displaced persons who had moved to Lviv region due to Russia’s armed aggression.
Examples of crimes
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A 20-year-old orphan student was forced to pay a fake debt.
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Under threats and beatings, he handed over more than 16,000 UAH.
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The racketeers demanded an additional 20,000 UAH monthly.
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To reinforce threats, they used physical violence, psychological pressure, and weapons.
In 2024, the three were detained while receiving another “installment” from the victim.
Criminal charges
They were accused of:
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establishing and spreading criminal influence (Article 255-1, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine);
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extortion committed by an organized group under martial law (Article 189, Part 4 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
The investigation was conducted by the Main Department of the National Police in Lviv region, based on materials from the Security Service of Ukraine.
Note: According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court conviction.