Two New York City pawnshop owners, Dimitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, and Juan Villar, 48, have been charged with acting as middlemen for South American theft gangs, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office released on Tuesday.
Nezhinskiy, a Georgian national known as "Ruso," and Villar face three counts of receiving stolen property and one count of conspiracy to receive stolen goods. The indictment was filed on January 30 in a New York federal court.
The charges stem from the men’s alleged purchase of stolen items from Bryan Leandro Herrera Maldonado, a notorious burglar who reportedly committed at least 16 residential break-ins across the U.S. between 2019 and 2020.
Prosecutors indicated that phone records and video surveillance connected Nezhinskiy to at least two members of a burglary ring involved in the December 9 break-in at the home of a "high-profile athlete," later identified as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Four suspects were arrested in January in connection with the Burrow robbery.
In addition to these allegations, federal authorities claim that between October 2022 and January 2024, Nezhinskiy and Villar purchased seven stolen items—including luxury handbags and accessories—from an undercover detective. The two men continued buying stolen goods even after being informed of their illicit nature.
A raid on their pawnshop led to the seizure of watches and jewelry believed to be stolen, alongside large quantities of wine and marijuana. Further investigations at Nezhinskiy’s New Jersey storage units uncovered more luxury goods, including expensive handbags, jewelry, sports memorabilia, artwork, and power tools commonly used in burglaries.
Prosecutors are seeking to have Nezhinskiy and Villar held without bail.
Scott Guginsky, executive vice president of the Jewelers’ Security Alliance (JSA), praised the efforts of federal and local authorities, saying, "The industry is safer when criminals who steal and attempt to fence jewelry on 47th Street are taken off the streets."
Nezhinskiy’s attorney did not respond to requests for comment.