Sergey Ershov, a former driver, has been sentenced in St. Petersburg to a suspended prison term for stealing 65 million rubles from his former boss, an ex-top manager at PJSC “Rosseti Lenenergo.” The Smolninsky District Court delivered the verdict after Ershov pleaded guilty to the crime.

The court determined that Ershov stole the money from his boss’s BMW while it was parked in a residential complex on Smolnaya Embankment on the evening of February 27. He took a red bag containing the cash and fled the scene.

Ershov admitted to discovering the bag of money accidentally while loading water into the car. He claimed that he acted impulsively and drove aimlessly along the Kola highway after the theft, unsure of what to do with the money. He expressed remorse for his actions and stated that he was relieved when police stopped him.

Mitigating circumstances considered by the court included Ershov’s lack of prior convictions, his residence with and care for his retired parents, and his responsibility for a minor child. The court sentenced Ershov to 4 years in prison, suspended for 2 years.