The former leader of China’s renowned Shaolin Temple has been sentenced to nearly a quarter-century behind bars on corruption charges, according to Chinese state media reports released Friday.
Shi Yongxin, who is 60 years old, received the 24-year prison term after being convicted of embezzlement and bribery. He had been formally charged this past March following an investigation that began in July of last year.
The conviction came from a court located in Henan province in central China. Court officials determined that Shi had misused his position of authority to steal funds, misappropriate money, and engage in bribery schemes that totaled approximately 300 million yuan, which equals about $44.33 million in U.S. currency.
The criminal activity spanned almost thirty years, according to the court’s findings.
