The director of a sports complex in Dolgoprudny and her deputy have been charged with large-scale fraud for allegedly embezzling funds through “ghost employees.” Investigators claim the scheme, which ran from January 2022 to April 2025, involved fraudulently employing at least 20 individuals and misappropriating their salaries.

The alleged fraud resulted in damages exceeding 30 million rubles. The accused face charges under Part 4 of Article 159 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to one million rubles.

The director of the “Salyut” sports and recreation complex, Tatiana Sokolova, who also served as a deputy from “United Russia” in the Council of Deputies of the Dolgoprudny urban district, is believed to be involved. The fraudulent activities reportedly began during the tenure of Vladislav Yudin, the former head of the urban district.

Currently, both women are under house arrest, a measure of restraint chosen on June 3. Sokolova was reportedly stripped of her mandate as a people’s deputy on May 14.