A Moldovan court sentenced Vladimir Plahotniuc to 19 years in prison on Wednesday in a fraud case involving the theft of $1 billion from the country's banking sector.
The former strongman, oligarch, and former opposition leader was involved in a banking fraud that occurred more than a decade ago, leaving the nation on the verge of bankruptcy.
Plahotniuc, who was also a business magnate, lawmaker, and kingpin in the Democratic Party of Moldova, fled the country in 2019 as he faced a series of corruption charges.