Sevastopol City Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination

History

2025: Morgue leaders given up to 9 years of strict regime for bribes from orderlies

On November 28, 2025, the Leninsky District Court of Sevastopol issued a guilty verdict in a criminal case on corruption in the Sevastopol City Bureau of Forensic Medical Examination (SGB SME). Four former employees of the institution were brought to justice.

As established by the investigation, in the period from January 2023 to July 2024, an organized bribe-taking scheme was in effect at the bureau. The orderlies of the institution systematically transferred funds to the management in exchange for permission to provide relatives of the deceased with paid services for posthumous makeup. The total amount of illegal remuneration received by officials exceeded 4.3 million rubles.

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Фото: telegram channel "Prosecutor's Office of the city of Sevastopol"

The court found the former head of the State Security Service of the SME guilty of taking a bribe on an especially large scale (part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). He was sentenced to 9 years in prison in a maximum security colony and a fine of 10.765 million rubles. The head of the department - a medical examiner - was found guilty under the same article. His punishment is 8 years 6 months in prison in a maximum security colony and a fine of 10.78 million rubles.

Both convicts are deprived of the right to hold positions in the state and municipal service, as well as in health care institutions for a period of 5 years. The funds they received were confiscated as state revenue.

The court found two orderlies guilty of bribing a group of persons by prior conspiracy on an especially large scale (part 4 of article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). As a punishment, each was fined 3.5 million rubles.

As part of the case, the seizure of the property of the convicts was authorized, which the court left unchanged. The list of seized assets includes 5 land plots and a share in the apartment, 2 cars and a trailer, cash totaling about 6.5 million rubles, $21.2 thousand, as well as banknotes of other foreign countries.

Criminal activity was identified and suppressed as a result of joint operational activities of the Office FSBRussia for the Republic Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and the police with power support. National Guard of the Russian Federation The preliminary investigation in the case was carried out. Investigative Committee RUSSIAN FEDERATION^[1]

2024: Detention of bureau chief in bribe case

In August 2024, in Sevastopol, by a court decision, the head of the city bureau of forensic medical examination was taken into custody. The head of the institution was charged with taking bribes on an especially large scale. This preventive measure was chosen as part of the investigation of a criminal case on corruption in the bureau of forensic examination.

According to Izvestia, the investigating authorities revealed the facts of illegal activities not only of the head of the bureau, but also of the head of the department of forensic medical examination of corpses. According to investigators, senior employees of the institution systematically received funds from subordinate orderlies for patronage and connivance in the service.

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Фото: FSB of Russia for the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol

The Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Crimea and Sevastopol reported that illegal actions were committed from January 2018 to February 2024. The leadership of the forensic bureau allowed orderlies to receive monetary rewards from relatives of the deceased under the guise of providing paid services for the study and conduct of thanatocosmetology of corpses, as well as for their timely issuance.

A criminal case was initiated against the head of the bureau and the head of the department under part 6 of article 290 of the Criminal Code of Russia ("Receiving a bribe on an especially large scale"). The sanction of this article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for a term of eight to fifteen years with a fine of up to seventy times the amount of the bribe.

One of the orderlies, who transferred funds to the management, also became a defendant in the criminal case. A case was initiated against him under Part 5 of Article 291 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Bribery on an especially large scale").

During the investigation, searches were carried out at the places of residence of the suspects, as well as officers of the medical examination bureau were interrogated. According to the results of investigative actions, the head of the institution was detained, and the head of the department was removed from his post.^[2]

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