MOSCOW, January 26 (RAPSI, Lyudmila Klenko) – Former judge in the Sverdlovsk Region, Maxim Vinogradov, who is suspected of taking 6 million rubles ($101,000) for acquittal in a criminal case, has fled the country with his family, RAPSI learnt in the Investigative Committee on Thursday.

Vinogradov was put on the wanted list.

According to investigators, entrepreneur Viktor Zubov conspired with Vinogradov and deputy of the Asbestovsky City Court’s chairman, Konstantin Zakharov, extorted money from a notary, who was a defendant in one of the cases being reviewed by Vinogradov. The notary was charged with fraud and conspirators demanded 6 million rubles for her acquittal.

In June 2016, Zubov was arrested in Yekaterinburg when he received fake money. Later, Zubov gave the money to Zakharov, who later passed the bribe to Vinogradov.