Russian police chief with gold-plated toilet sentenced to 20 years for trucker extortion

In the city of Cherkessk, in Russia’s North Caucasus, near the border with Georgia, a court has sentenced Alexey Safonov, the former traffic police chief of Stavropol Krai, to 20 years in prison for running an organized criminal group, accepting bribes, and abusing his office. Prosecutors say he established a criminal group in 2013 that extorted money from long-haul truckers in exchange for safe and unhindered passage through the region.

After Safonov’s arrest in July 2021, the media obtained photographs of his mansion, including images of a gold-plated toilet and sink. Besides the mansion, investigators also discovered more than 20 other properties and six cars registered in Safonov’s name. In addition to the prison term, he was fined 100 million rubles ($1.2 million), stripped of his rank as a police colonel, and barred from holding public office for 12 years.

Safonov maintains his innocence and says he plans to appeal the verdict.