Sochi Deputy Mayor Gorobets remains in custody

The court dismissed the appeal against the arrest of Sochi Deputy Mayor Yevgeny Gorobets, a suspect in a criminal case of abuse of office.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on March 28, a court in Sochi remanded Deputy Mayor Yevgeny Gorobets in custody for two months. He had been detained the day before on suspicion of abuse of office (Part 3 of Article 285 of the Russian Criminal Code, which carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison).

On April 6, the Krasnodar Regional Court heard an appeal against the ruling of the Sochi Central District Court regarding the preventive measure for Yevgeny Gorobets, the united press service of the Kuban courts reported on its Telegram channel.

"After hearing the arguments of both parties, the appellate court dismissed the appeal. The previously imposed preventive measure remains in effect for Gorobets until May 26, 2026," the publication stated.

As a reminder, according to the investigation, in August 2025, Gorobets agreed with a local businessman to lease a plot of land near the Volna sanatorium for subsequent purchase without a tender. The cadastral value of the plot exceeds 400 million rubles. Investigators also believe the official attempted to place his daughter in a commercial organization, with only nominal duties performed but a regular salary.

The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that in September 2024, a court arrested former Sochi Mayor Alexei Kopaigorodsky. He is charged with accepting bribes, embezzlement, and receiving significant remuneration. His wife, Yanina Kopaigorodskaya, is accused of embezzlement, acting as an intermediary in bribery, and tampering with witnesses. Investigators believe the couple, taking advantage of their positions, illegally obtained nearly 332 million rubles.

In August 2025, Kopaigorodsky was charged with money laundering in excess of 104 million rubles. His wife is also implicated in this case.

Krasnodar native Alexei Kopaigorodsky had been the head of Sochi since 2019. On May 14, 2024, he submitted his resignation due to a transfer to a new position. In 2025, the Prosecutor General's Office demanded that 14 apartments, land plots, cars, and other property belonging to the Kopaigorodskys and related individuals and organizations, worth 1.6 billion rubles, be seized by the state. In January, the court upheld the agency's claim.