Penza, 27 January 2015. PenzaNews. Marina Pavlova, the former head coach of the women basketball club “Yunost,” was found guilty of large-scale fraud and received a suspended sentence of five years. The verdict was announced in the Leninsky area court of Penza city on Tuesday, January 27; the procedure lasted for 2.5 hours.

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In its beginning, judge Natalya Proshina read the descriptive section of the verdict that stated each case of money theft using the third parties from the Penza Regional Physical Education and Sports Committee, for a total sum of 21,583,107.48 rubles from November 9, 2007, to May 17, 2013.

The state official described in detail the scheme of the machinations, including organizations involved in financial embezzlement.

Natalya Proshina also described the process of cashing out money originally provided for meals for sportsmen and medicine for “Spartak-Peduniversitet” and “Yunost” teams.

The judge reminded the audience about statements from witnesses, including former heads of the regional sports committee: Grigory Kabelsky, now director of the Department of Summer Sports Development for the Russian Ministry of Sports; and Artur Panteleev, deputy chairman of the Penza Regional Physical Education and Sports Committee. The aforementioned witnesses testified they had not known of the malicious schemes.

Natalya Proshina stressed the fact the court hearings found Marina Pavlova was guilty of intentionally deceiving the committee in order to profit from her schemes.

“As per Articles 305, 306, 307, 308 and 309 of the Russian Federation Code of Criminal Procedure, the court decided to find Marina Alexandrovna Pavlova guilty under part 4, Art. 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation [titled ‘Fraud’] and sentence her to five years in prison under part 1, Art. 62 of the Criminal Code, with a three-year ban to hold office of management, organizational or order-giving type in institutions of education and physical education under part 3, Art. 47 of the Criminal Code,” she said.

However, the judge added the sentence allocated to Marina Pavlova is suspended with a five-year probation period.

“The court decided to satisfy the complaint of the aggrieved party, the Penza Regional Physical Education and Sports Committee, and fine Pavlova the amount of damages, 21,583,107,48 rubles, in the aggrieved party’s favor,” Natalya Proshina clarified.

According to her, the sentence may be appealed by both parties in 30 days after the date of its announcement.

“In case of an appeal, the sentenced party may request to take part in the appeal case,” the judge said.

According to her, the court also found necessary to keep Marina Pavlova’s bank accounts frozen.

As PenzaNews agency reported earlier, the case of Marina Pavlova, then head coach of the Penza women basketball club “Yunost,” became public in autumn of 2013.

The case was under investigation of the Penza region FSB department.

According to investigators, the basketball coach illegally cashed out and embezzled funds allocated for the team. In her turn, Marina Pavlova from the first days of investigation claimed she did not steal the money, but instead used them to pay salary for team players and personnel, as well as for external matches, and that the regional sports committee was informed of the scheme.

The coach spent nearly two months in custody, until she was moved to house arrest on December 13, 2013.

The hearings in the Leninsky area court of Penza city began on October 1, 2014.