MOSCOW, June 1 (RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov) – Russia’s Supreme Court on Wednesday, upheld a 22-year prison sentence handed down to Robert Bagayev, a member of a gang that allegedly killed over 40 people, RAPSI reports from the courtroom.

Bagayev was convicted by the Moscow Region Court on March 28. The court also fined him 500,000 rubles ($7,600).

Bagayev became the eighteenth convicted member of Gagiyev’s gang. He has appealed the ruling seeking mitigation of the sentence.

He was found guilty of participation in a criminal group, gangsterism, attempted murder, killings, illegal deprivation of freedom and ammunition trafficking.

Russian investigators claim that Georgian-born Gagiyev’s gang has been operating since 2004 and includes over 50 members.

Members of the gang committed more than 40 counts of murder in Moscow and North Ossetia.

According to investigators, Bagayev joined the gang in 2006 and later took part in killings and kidnapping. He got a monthly salary of $1,000.

Earlier, 17 other members of the gang have received long prison terms; two of them have been sentenced to life.

Currently, 14 members are in detention, 8 members are on the international wanted list. Leader of the gang, Aslan Gagiyev was arrested in Austria and is facing extradition to Bulgaria or Russia. On March 3, he was released on bail by an Austrian court.