Erik Kravchuk Found Guilty In 'Brazen, Violent' Attack That Killed Aleksandre Sambelashvili

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A 30-year-old Golden Valley man has been found guilty of killing prominent Medtronic scientist Aleksandre Sambelashvili by attacking him at a private gathering in 2019.

According to the Hennepin County Attorney's Office, Erik Kravchuk was found guilty on Thursday to all charges against him: second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and fifth-degree assault.

On July 28, 2019, Kravchuck struck the victim with his forearm inside a downtown Minneapolis bar. Sambelashvili fell to the ground and died a month later due to brain injuries. He was a father of two who lived in Minnetonka.

Using video surveillance and credit card transaction history, officers located and arrested Kravchuk, according to the complaint.

"The brazen, violent and ultimately fatal action committed by Mr. Kravchuk resulted in the death of an innocent man," Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said in a release. "The jury found the defendant guilty of all counts, and he will be sentenced accordingly. The time he will serve in prison does not bring back the life of the victim, and certainly does not make the loss his family and friends are suffering go away either. My thoughts go out to them during this time."

Kravchuck's sentencing is set for Dec. 6. He could face up to 15 years in prison.