A New York socialite has reportedly been sentenced to 11 years in a Russian prison and hard labor camp after being found guilty of embezzling.
According to Page Six, Russian-born wealthy New York socialite Janna Bullock was sentenced to 11 years at a Russian prison and hard labor camp by the Moscow Basmanny Court in her absence on Jan. 23.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Bullock, along with ex-husband, former Moscow regional finance minister Alexey Kuznetsova, had been found guilty of embezzling more than 11 billion rubles, or about $200 million, from organizations in Moscow between 2005 and 2008. Bullock has maintained her innocence and insists that she is the victim of a negative media campaign in Russia.
Kuznetsova was arrested in 2013 in Saint-Tropez, France after fleeing Russia following an associate’s murder. He spent four years in prison in France fighting extradition. After an appeal, France released him last year.
In order to repay their victims, it is reported that Russian authorities have seized most of Bullock’s property in Europe, including an apartment in Paris, two properties in Switzerland, a house in Saint-Tropez, a haul of expensive art, including 27 paintings and eight sculptures, 10 cars, including Rolls-Royces, Mercedes-Benzes and Bentleys, and a yacht.
Russia is allegedly seeking Bullock’s extradition from the United States, but American authorities have dismissed their requests. Meanwhile, Bullock, who moved to New York in 1990 and is now a U.S. citizen, attended Nicole Miller’s Fashion Week show. Despite the charges and the sentence, she has maintained being a Manhattan and Hamptons society staple.
