VORONEZH, August 26 (RAPSI) – A court in the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod has sentenced Alexander Vdovin, a 46-year-old  local resident, who took hostages at a city’s bank, to two years in a prison settlement,  RIA Novosti reported Tuesday.

On April 21, Vdovin armed with a hunting rifle entered Zapadny bank which was earlier stripped of its license and demanded from employees to  hand over 23 million rubles ($645,000) that he had invested at the bank. He took three employees hostage who were released following talks with the police.

The man faced up to five years in prison.

Almost 30 Russian banks have been shut down in recent months after the regulator revoked their licenses in a campaign to tighten control and rein in shadow banking activity.