Two Charged with Fencing in NY Diamond District
February 10, 25
(IDEX Online) - Two men have been charged with fencing watches, jewelry and other luxury goods stolen by South American Theft Groups.
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, and Juan Villar, 48, operated a pawn shop in New York's diamond district for five years until they were arrested last week.
They allegedly conspired to receive stolen property from South American Theft Groups (SATGs) - highly-organized gangs of "crime tourists" - and sell it on.
"As alleged, the defendants created an illicit market and fueled demand for burglaries by South American Theft Groups and other crews around the country by purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items, and then re-selling them in their New York City store," said United States attorney Durham.
According to court documents an undercover detective sold "stolen property" to Nezhinskiy and/or Villar seven times between October 2022 and January 2024.
They allegedly served as "fences" on a regular basis for burglary crews from South America who traveled around the US committing burglaries, typically targeting wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors, and stealing luxury accessories.
Law enforcement officers seized large quantities of suspected stolen property, including dozens of high-end watches and jewelry when they searched the pair's pawn shop on 47th Street.
"We will not tolerate crime of any kind in New York, whether it be street crime, retail theft, or these organized operations that target residential homes to steal and resell luxury goods," said NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Nezhinsky and Villar face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.