MOSCOW, October 5 (RAPSI) – Yury Lastochkin, the suspended mayor of Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Region, has filed an appeal against a 8.5-year sentence for soliciting a bribe and for embezzlement, TASS agency reported on Monday.

On September 23, The Rybinsk City Court handed down the sentence to Lastochkin. The court also fined him 140 million rubles ($2.1 mln).

The prosecution asked the court to sentence Lastochkin to 11 years in prison and a 140 million ruble fine, as well as to rule in favor of engine producer Saturn, which filed a claim to collect over 100 million rubles ($1.5mln) from Lastochkin.

Saturn designs and manufactures gas turbine engines and power units for military and civilian aircraft, power plants, as well as naval and civilian ships.

According to investigators, in July 2013 Lastochkin demanded that the head of a municipal company pay him 2 million rubles ($30,300) if he wanted to keep his post. He was to bring the money to Lastochkin’s assistant, Gennady Telegin.

The court has found Telegin guilty of complicity in bribery and has given him a five-year suspended sentence and a 4 million ruble ($60,700) fine.