FSB Colonel Sentenced to 11 Years for Extortion via Telegram Channels

Colonel of the FSB received the harshest sentence in cases of extortion against Telegram channel administrators.

Consensus

Mikhail Polyakov, a retired FSB lieutenant colonel, was sentenced to 11 years in prison by the Moscow Garrison Military Court.
The court also imposed a fine of 800,000 rubles on Polyakov and stripped him of his rank of colonel.
Polyakov was convicted of extortion under Article 163, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code.
The extortion scheme involved pressuring company executives to pay money to prevent negative publications in Telegram channels.
The victims were Alexei Kazin and Alexei Slepnev, top managers of the company 'Lanit'.
The channels involved in the case included 'Kremlevskaya Prahka', 'Nezygari', 'VChK-OGPU', 'Banksta', The Moscow Post, and Brief.
Two other individuals, Alexander Sanin and Denis Savinsky, were also sentenced as accomplices — Sanin to 9 years, Savinsky to 8 years.
The scheme allegedly involved using state-affiliated Telegram channels to pressure targets into paying money to stop negative coverage.

Polyakov was involved in a scheme with Ivan Samoylenko, the head of 'Business Communications', who is currently in fugitive status. — tg_agentstvonews
Polyakov was accused of working with the Telegram channels 'Nezygari' and 'Kremlevskaya Prahka' as part of a coordinated campaign to extort money. — tg_agentstvonews
Polyakov was involved in the 'Protestnaya Moskva' chat in 2023, according to leaked data. — tg_agentstvonews
Polyakov worked as deputy general director for security at the World Youth Festival Directorate from 2023 to at least 2025. — tg_agentstvonews
Polyakov was accused of engaging in commercial activities in pro-government Telegram channels without approval from his superiors. — tg_agentstvonews
This is the harshest sentence ever given in cases involving Telegram channel administrators accused of extortion. — tg_agentstvonews
Polyakov was a serving FSB officer at the time of the extortion, not yet in retirement. — tg_moscowtimes_ru