Lawyers representing Dmitry Tsarenko, the former concert director for Russian singer Oleg Gazmanov, have announced plans to appeal his seven-year prison sentence for fraud.
The 60-year-old former music manager was sentenced following a second trial that examined 17 distinct counts of fraud, Russian broadcaster Fifth Channel reported on Friday, August 28.
Defense attorneys criticized the delivery of the verdict, stating that the presiding judge spoke in a very quiet voice during the court session. According to the defense team, the judge read out the ruling so softly that Tsarenko did not immediately understand what punishment had been imposed on him.
The legal team asserted that declaring such a harsh sentence aloud was simply impossible for the judge on human and moral grounds, describing the decision as inhumane and contrary to conscience. They added that the magistrate fulfilled his official duty very quietly while construction equipment was making noise nearby.
Given the age of their 60-year-old client, the defense lawyers described the seven-year term in a penal colony as effectively a life sentence for Tsarenko.
Origins of the fraud investigation
The conflict between the performer and his former manager began in 2024, when Gazmanov contacted law enforcement agencies after suspecting Tsarenko of stealing money generated from concert performances.
An initial investigation resulted in Tsarenko being charged with 13 counts of fraud. In that first case, the court found him guilty and sentenced him to four years in a penal colony.
Following that initial verdict, law enforcement authorities opened a second criminal case against Tsarenko containing 17 additional counts of fraud. The second trial ended with the court raising his total prison term to seven years of imprisonment.
Background on the parties involved
Gazmanov is one of Russia's most recognizable pop singers and composers, famous for performing popular patriotic songs across a career lasting several decades. Fifth Channel, the media outlet that reported the defense team's appeal plans on Friday, is a national television broadcasting company headquartered in Saint Petersburg.
Tsarenko's legal defense team confirmed that they intend to appeal the seven-year prison sentence in court in an effort to challenge the severity of the ruling.
