The Tushinsky District Court in Moscow has sentenced Igor Lyapustin, the former CEO of LLC Melofon (the legal entity behind bookmaker Melbet), to 8 years in prison. This ruling comes after he was found guilty of embezzling 50% of the company's charter capital, as reported by TASS, citing the convicted individual's lawyer, Alexey Tsaplin.
The prosecution had requested a 9-year sentence, while the defense sought an acquittal. Lyapustin was taken into custody immediately after the court's decision and maintains his innocence. His legal team plans to file an appeal against the verdict.
According to Kommersant, the case was initiated following a police report from Alexander Gradulenko, the former director of Melofon's parent company, LLC Seventh Continent, who estimated the damages at $1.2 million. Gradulenko alleged that during his own criminal prosecution for illegal gambling operations, he transferred his share to Lyapustin with the expectation of a subsequent return.
Records from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (EGRUL) indicate that Lyapustin holds a 50% stake in Melofon and, as TASS reports, owns the domain melbet and several trademarks.