A former North Ossetian police officer was sentenced Monday to 18 years in a maximum-security prison for killing numerous local officials, including Vladikavkaz Mayor Vitaly Karayev, who was shot dead in 2008, Itar-Tass reported.
The North Ossetian Supreme Court ruled that Rafael Kallagov — or Kalagov, according to some reports — was a member of a criminal gang headed by Oleg Gagiyev, who was detained in April 2009.
Kallagov entered a plea bargain during the investigation. Two other suspected members of the same gang currently await trial.
(MT)