By Forum Staff
An indictment was unsealed on Tuesday in Brooklyn federal court charging two men with conspiracy to receive stolen property related to their purchasing of stolen goods that traveled across state lines and transported through Queens, according to prosecutors.
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, of New Jersey, and borough resident Juan Villar, 48, were arrested on Tuesday morning and arraigned on Wednesday.
As alleged in the indictment, between approximately 2020 and 2025, the defendants conspired with each another and others to receive and purchase stolen property, including jewelry, watches, handbags and assorted luxury items that had been stolen outside of the state of New York and transported into New York. As detailed in court filings, Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as “fences” for burglary crews based out of South America who traveled around the United States committing burglaries, typically targeting wealthier neighborhoods or jewelry vendors, and stealing luxury accessories. Nezhinskiy and Villar’s operation provided an essential market for the stolen goods, perpetuating the dangerous criminal activities of the burglary and theft crews composed largely of foreign nationals.
For example, evidence links Nezhinskiy and Villar to thefts around the country, including crimes committed by Bryan Leandro Herrera Maldonado, a prolific burglar who committed at least 16 residential burglaries across the United States between 2019 and 2020. Additionally, phone records and video surveillance links Nezhinskiy to at least two members of a four-man burglary crew believed to be involved in the Dec. 9, 2024 burglary of Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow’s home, and showed Nezhinskiy in contact with that crew less than one week before the burglary in Ohio.
In addition, between October 2022 and January 2024, an undercover detective conducted seven controlled sales of purported stolen property, including high-end handbags and luxury accessories, to Nezhinskiy or Villar, or both, at their business location in Manhattan’s Diamond District. During these controlled sales, the undercover detective provided the defendants with items that the undercover told the defendants had been stolen, and received cash in exchange for the stolen goods.
Law enforcement officers on Tuesday executed a search warrant at the location on 47th Street in Manhattan where Nezhinskiy and Villar operate a pawn shop and seized large quantities of suspected stolen property, including dozens of high-end watches and jewelry. Law enforcement also recovered large quantities of cash and marijuana. Simultaneously, law enforcement executed a search warrant at storage units belonging to Nezhinskiy in New Jersey where an additional cache of suspected stolen property was found. From inside Nezhinskiy’s storage units, law enforcement recovered large quantities of luxury goods and clothing, including high-end handbags, wine, sports memorabilia, jewelry, artwork and power tools consistent with those commonly used in burglaries and opening safes.
“My Office will continue to pursue organized groups who engage, enable, or encourage the pillaging of residential homes and businesses that has a corrosive effect on the sense of security in our communities,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney John Durham.
If convicted of receipt of stolen goods, Nezhinskiy and Villar face up to 10 years in prison.
