Tim is a journalist, author, and columnist with two decades of experience writing for outlets like the BBC, the Guardian, and Chosun Ilbo. He is an expert on regulation, business, and industry and is fluent...
Read Full BioA Russian court has begun the trial of a man charged with murdering a casino patron with an AK-47 assault rifle in 1994.
According to the Tula branch of the Russian media outlet Argumenty i Facty, the accused was born in 1969 and is a resident of Tula. For legal reasons, he can only be identified by the first letter of his surname (S).
A first hearing was held at the Zarechensky District Court on April 23, 2025. S is charged with premeditated murder committed in a manner that endangered the lives of many other individuals.
Russian Casino Death: Case Remained Unsolved for 30+ Years
Media outlets described the victim (surname beginning in P) as an “influential” patron of the casino.
Argumenty i Facty noted that the circumstances of the crime “coincide with” the details of a suspected gangland kingpin named Sergei Puchkov, who is “known in the criminal world as Puchok.”
Prosecutors allege that on May 23, 1994, S entered the casino armed with a machine gun. They say that S opened fire when he saw P sitting at a poker table.
Police allege that S fired at least 15 shots, with P suffering multiple gunshot wounds and dying on the spot. A 20-year-old female croupier also suffered gunshot wounds. The shooter then fled the scene, the police report continued.
The media is set to be barred from future hearings after the court accepted a petition from a witness who told the court: “Considering the circumstances of the crime committed, I have reason to fear for my life and the lives of my close relatives. I ask that this criminal case be considered in a closed court session.”
The state prosecutor, the defense attorney, and two alleged victims agreed to this request. The presiding judge then asked most attendees to leave the courtroom. A man who said he was a friend of the defendant, the defendant’s wife, and media representatives were all asked to leave.
The court then ruled that S should remain in custody until the next hearing. The court will reconvene behind closed doors on April 29.
Shooter Was Drunk, Prosecutors Claim
Earlier this month, the media outlet MK.ru’s Tula branch reported that the case had remained unsolved for three decades.
However, new evidence from recent investigations and interdepartmental work helped the police gather enough evidence to press charges, prosecution officials say.
Officers think S was intoxicated at the time of the killing. They also believe he had quarrelled with P before the shooting.
The case documents note that the casino, which has since closed, was located on Tula’s Ul. Oktyabrskaya.
The trial comes amid a police and Ministry of Internal Affairs crackdown on illegal Russian casinos and unlicensed betting websites.
On April 19, officers stormed a building in the Leningrad Region of the city of Telmana on April 19 where they arrested 16 people. The suspects were charged with patronizing and operating an illegal gambling den.
The Russian Central Bank has also launched a database of at least 700,000 suspected cash and card mules. The bank and anti-money laundering agencies think illegal casino operators use the mules to conceal their illicit operations.
