A Russian federal judge has been killed while leaving his home in central Moscow by an unknown man said Russian security services.

Russian federal judge, Eduard Chuvashov, was shot dead this morning in Moscow by an unknown man, according to RIA Novosti news agency.

“An unidentified person shot Chuvashov at the entrance of his apartment building and then fled,” said witnesses after being questioned by police officers. It has been reported that the judge had been shot in the chest while leaving his apartment early in the morning.

The judge was well known in the city as he had high profile cases with racist and nationalist groups along with governmental fraud trials.

Chuvashov had just recently sentenced nine members of a nationalist skinhead group known as the ‘White Wolfs’ to 23 years in prison.

The judge had also on the case of officer Bulbov Alexander of the Federal Drug Control who was accused of money laundering of up to $3.2 million but released on bail in November 2009, awaiting trial.

Mr. Chuvashov had received several death threats from various groups but had reportedly refused having bodyguards.