A former judge from Dnipro hid in secret rooms and wore a police uniform
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have tracked down Andriy Leonov, a former judge of the Babushkinsky District Court in Dnipro, who had been on the run for more than three years to avoid serving an 11-year sentence for bribery. According to NABU, he was hiding in secret locations, using cars with altered license plates, and on some occasions even wore a National Police uniform. Following his arrest, Leonov has already been transferred to a pretrial detention center.
Anti-corruption authorities have detained Andriy Leonov, a former judge of the Babushkinsky District Court in Dnipro, who had been on the run for over three years. By court order, he is to serve an 11-year prison sentence for bribery. This was reported by NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO). Leonov’s case dates back to 2018. In May of that year, he was caught demanding a $30,000 bribe and receiving a portion of that money.
According to the case file, Leonov promised, in exchange for money, to assist a farming enterprise in criminal proceedings related to corporate raiding and document forgery. Specifically, he was supposed to recognize the farm as a victim and issue a sentence that would not include imprisonment for the defendant. In fact, the judge received $15,000 of the agreed-upon $30,000. The receipt of this sum was one of the key elements of the case.
In March 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court found Leonov guilty. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison, barred from holding the office of judge for three years, and ordered to have all his property confiscated. But the former judge did not report to serve his sentence. Leonov failed to appear at the sentencing hearing and, later, at the appeal hearing. In June 2023, he was placed on the wanted list. Since then, law enforcement agencies have spent several years searching for his whereabouts.
According to the NABU, while in hiding, Leonov tried to draw as little attention to himself as possible. He used secret hideouts and chose routes with fewer people. To get around, the former judge used cars with altered license plates. According to the bureau, he also traveled by motorcycle.
The most unusual means of disguise was a Ukrainian National Police uniform. NABU noted that in some instances, Leonov wore it to remain inconspicuous and avoid arousing suspicion. After conducting a series of operational and investigative measures, NABU detectives determined the convict’s exact whereabouts. Leonov was detained and taken to a pretrial detention center. He must now serve the sentence the court imposed on him in the bribery case.
Meanwhile, while the search was underway, his sentence went through all levels of the court system. In September 2026, the Criminal Cassation Court within the Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) dated March 27, 2023, and the decision of the HACC’s Appeals Chamber dated November 2, 2023. The Supreme Court’s ruling is final and not subject to appeal. Thus, Leonov not only received an 11-year prison sentence but also permanently lost the opportunity to appeal this verdict. Following his arrest, he will now have to serve the sentence imposed by the court.
Leonov’s case has become one of the most high-profile cases of corruption involving judges. He was exposed back in 2018, received his sentence in 2023, but authorities were only able to take him into custody to serve his sentence more than three years after he was placed on the wanted list. This was reported by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
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