Medvedev Takes on the Gangstas

More gangsta news ... This seems like a good deal. The trouble is I wouldn't trust Medvedev any less if he had a mustache. You know he has mafia ties ... Putin too.

Medvedev Takes on Russian Gangsters

Dmitry Medvedev wants to put Russian mafia leaders in prison for the rest of their lives.

The Russian president said as much this week as he signed a law mandating harsher punishments for criminals known as “thieves-in-law,” which are gang leaders who orchestrate Russian mafia activities.

“Punishments for involvement in criminal groups have been raised to the maximum,” Medvedev said. Read the full story here ...

Billionaire Russian Crime Boss Named to U.S. 10 Most Wanted

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation named a Russian billionaire crime boss last week to its 10 Most Wanted List.

Semion Mogilevich, who has been described as the most powerful and dangerous gangster in the world, is a wanted man in numerous countries, where he has laundered money to finance his various criminal enterprises. In the U.S., he is wanted for orchestrating a scheme that defrauded investors in a company that he controlled of more than $150 million.

But that’s just the beginning. The FBI says Mogilevich is believed to have been involved in weapons and drug trafficking, contract murders, extortion, and other crimes both inside and outside Russia. Most recently, authorities believe he has been able to manipulate energy markets, taking control of companies involved in natural gas disputes between Russia and Ukraine.

A Ukrainian national, Mogilevich has an economics degree from Lviv University in the Ukraine, which gave rise to his nickname, “the Brainy Don.” He holds several citizenships, including Russian, and is believed to be living in Moscow. He was arrested there in 2008 on tax fraud charges, but was later released.

A reward of $100,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest.

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Hundreds in Moscow Mourn Russian Mafia Leader

One of the most notorious members of the Russian Mafia was buried in a prestigious Moscow cemetery on Tuesday after he succumbed last week to a wound from an assassin’s bullet.

Hundreds of mourners, including numerous members of various Russian underworld groups, were present for the funeral of Vyacheslav “Yaponchik” Ivankov at Moscow’s Vagankovo cemetery.

At the request of his family, media were not allowed to attend the ceremony. However, an unprecedented number of police were present.

Ivankov was described as a leading figure in Russian organized crime, who was well-connected to the Russian business and political worlds. For a time, he also lived in the United States, where he served nearly a decade in prison for extortion. In 2004, he was deported back to Russia and put on trial for a 1992 double murder. A jury acquitted him in 2005.

His nickname, Yaponchik, translates to “Little Japanese” – a reference to his short stature and his interest in martial arts. He was thought to have achieved the rank of “thief within the law,” meaning he was a chief member of the Russian Mafia.
In July of this year, he was shot by a sniper while leaving a Moscow restaurant. He died on Oct. 9 from complications from the gunshot wound.