Suspect Captured in Top Banker's Killing
By Carl Schreck 5 July 2006
Police have arrested the man suspected of killing wealthy banker Ivan Kivelidi in 1995 by lacing his telephone with a toxic substance.
Police Find Sex Slaves in Institute Building
By Carl Schreck 28 June 2006
Two Chinese citizens will soon go on trial on charges of holding five Uzbek women captive and running a brothel out of a building owned by the prestigious Moscow Automotive Highway Institute.
3 Accused of Robbing Minibus Passengers
By Carl Schreck 21 June 2006
It's easy to get distracted in marshrutki , those yellow or white minibuses that zip passengers around town a bit faster than public transportation for 15 rubles.
Policeman Caught in Fleeing BMW
By Carl Schreck 31 May 2006
Police accuse a businessman of driving off while an officer's arm was locked in his window. The suspect cries foul.
Drug Cops Held in 3 Graft Cases
By Carl Schreck 24 May 2006
It's been a rough couple of weeks for drug cops. Internal affairs officers on Saturday arrested three narcotics officers and two Moscow policemen on charges of extorting $2,000 from a Moscow region woman and beating up an undercover cop posing as a drug dealer.
Police Nab Guitarist After 10-Year Hunt
By Carl Schreck 17 May 2006
A street musician who regularly performed on the Arbat has been arrested for the murder of his ex-wife after nearly 10 years on the lam and less than six months before the statute of limitations expires in the case.
Dog Lover Charged After Tangle With Dogcatchers
By Carl Schreck 19 April 2006
An animal lover is facing up to five years in prison for purportedly assaulting a police officer after she tried to prevent dogcatchers from rounding up stray dogs in northeast Moscow.
2 Held for Slave Labor at a Computer Club
By Carl Schreck 12 April 2006
The Chechen and a homeless man are accused of forcing five men with mental disabilities to work for a pittance for 11 months.
After 3 Days at Dacha, Debtor Escapes Captors
By Carl Schreck 5 April 2006
While credit cards and in-store loans are increasingly popular, many Russians prefer to make major purchases the old-fashioned way: borrow a grand or 12 from a friend or acquaintance.
3 Policemen Accused of Repeated Rape at Dacha
By Carl Schreck 29 March 2006
Three rent-a-cops from the city police guard service have been charged with holding a woman captive for two days in a dacha outside Moscow and raping her repeatedly, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Police May Have Shot the Wrong Man
By Carl Schreck 1 March 2006
City police shot and injured a man during a manhunt for a suspected serial killer in southwest Moscow, although the injured man appears to be innocent.
Policeman Accused of Fatally Beating Spaniard
By Carl Schreck 22 March 2006
A Moscow policeman has been arrested and charged with savagely beating a Spanish citizen who reportedly playfully attempted to turn around the officer's hat. The Spaniard died about week later.
Feathers Lead Cops to Pigeon Thieves
By Carl Schreck 15 March 2006
A Moscow man has been jailed for a year for stealing 40 top-breed pigeons, several of which he and a drinking buddy cooked and ate, and some of which they traded in for vodka, police said Tuesday.
Police May Have Shot the Wrong Man
By Carl Schreck 1 March 2006
City police shot and injured a man during a manhunt for a suspected serial killer in southwest Moscow, although the injured man appears to be innocent.
Police Suspect Dentist Left Patients Toothless
By Carl Schreck 15 February 2006
A dentist is facing up to three years in prison on charges of defrauding a city dental clinic out of $10,000, and investigators are examining additional claims that he ran a separate scam that literally left patients toothless.
Fake Summons Used to Bribe Reservists
By Carl Schreck 8 February 2006
A low-level employee in a military district office will go on trial later this month on charges of falsely summoning well-off reserve officers for training and offering permission to skip the training in exchange for money.
Woman Cons Police But Walks Away Free
By Carl Schreck 21 December 2005
A woman convinced Moscow police to give her free room and board in exchange for information about a drug trafficking ring, but the offer turned out to be a scam that she had been pulling nationwide for the past 18 months.
Bumbling Thief Steals Nissan Without Brakes
By Carl Schreck 30 November 2005
A bumbling car thief was arrested Thursday after the brakes of a Nissan Primera he stole from a repair shop failed, causing him to rear-end an SUV.
Suspect in Gamov's Murder Seen on TV
By Carl Schreck 23 November 2005
Suspected criminals on the lam take note: Association with popular television shows may not be the best tactic to avoid the long arm of the law.
HIV Man Held in Kuskovo Rape
By Carl Schreck 16 November 2005
A suspected rapist will have to wait several weeks to find out whether prosecutors tack on an additional charge to the one of rape and robbery he's already facing: infecting women with HIV.
'Dom-2' Contestant Gets 4 Years for Fraud
By Carl Schreck 9 November 2005
Police gave up chasing a fraudster after receiving information that he had fled to Belarus. But then he surfaced on national television as a contestant on the scandalous reality show "Dom-2: Build Your Love."
Messy Heist Reveals More Than a Body
By Carl Schreck 2 November 2005
Seven people, including a psychiatric nurse, face charges of murder, kidnapping and armed robbery in a saga that could have been cranked out by a Hollywood screenwriter.
Fridge Thief Has to Pay for What He Ate
By Carl Schreck 26 October 2005
A court orders an unemployed 46-year-old man to one year of community service for stealing two pork steaks.
Credit Card Adviser Faces Trial for Fraud
By Carl Schreck 19 October 2005
A Ukrainian who made a name for himself in Moscow as a consultant on credit card security will soon go on trial on charges of embezzling at least $1 million from the accounts of Visa Electron, MasterCard and American Express holders.
$10,000 Sought for a Fake Porn Film
By Carl Schreck 12 October 2005
Police have detained a Moscow region businessman who, upset that his amorous advances were rejected by a woman, created a porn movie supposedly featuring the woman and threatened to turn it over to her parents if she did not pay thousands of dollars.
Fake Utility Bills Lead to Avalanche of Calls
By Carl Schreck 6 October 2005
It was a day like any other at the communal services billing center in Moscow's southern Solntsevo district, with employees dutifully processing paperwork for everything from electricity bills to housing subsidies for district residents.
Car Stolen With Toddler Inside
By Carl Schreck 29 September 2005
A toddler was inadvertently kidnapped Monday when the car he was sleeping in was stolen while his parents were at the circus.
French Visitor Stabbed in Stomach
By Carl Schreck 8 September 2005
An elderly French citizen opened the door of his brother's Moscow apartment Monday and was stabbed in the stomach by an unidentified assailant who had rung the doorbell.
Naked Mugger Is Caught in the Act
By Carl Schreck 1 September 2005
Police have arrested a suspected naked mugger accused of a series of full-frontal assaults.
Arms, TNT Found in a Dead Convict's Flat
By Carl Schreck 25 August 2005
A large cache of weapons and explosives was found late Tuesday in a Moscow apartment registered to a dead convict, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.
11 Sent to Prison for 18 Brutal Slayings
By Carl Schreck 18 August 2005
Eleven men convicted of being members of a brutal organized crime group received prison sentences of up to 24 years Wednesday.
Canadian Lives to Tell His Tale
By Carl Schreck 11 August 2005
First he had to give up his Mercedes to avoid being killed. Then a man who owed him $1 million tried to kill him, and his girlfriend took out a contract hit on his life. In February, he was kidnapped and forced to pay a ransom of $1.5 million.
Police Comb Moscow Region for 2 Boys
By Carl Schreck 4 August 2005
The missing children are suspected of being involved in the death of a third boy.
Robbers Target Cash Couriers
By Carl Schreck 28 July 2005
City police chief Vladimir Pronin declares war on "the criminals and bandits" and says 22 suspects are being held.
Councilman Held in Gruesome Killing
By Carl Schreck 7 July 2005
The low-level Moscow politician is suspected of killing a man, dismembering the body and leaving the remains in Izmailovsky Park.
Ex-University Lecturer in $30,000 Bribe Case
By Carl Schreck 30 June 2005
A former Moscow State University lecturer was detained by police a day after he was shown on television trying to extract a large bribe from journalists posing as students.
Thieves Would Kill for a New Cell Phone
By Carl Schreck 23 June 2005
Multiple homicide and arson may sound like extreme measures to obtain a new cell phone.
Another Victim for the Old Cash Scam
By Carl Schreck 16 June 2005
An unsuspecting tourist is wandering the streets sightseeing when suddenly a man walking in front of him drops a wad of cash and continues on his way.
4 Bodies Lie in an Apartment for Years
By Carl Schreck 9 June 2005
A police officer tracking down people delinquent on their utility bills made a gruesome discovery when he broke into an apartment in southeast Moscow and found the skeletal remains of four family members.
Private Eye Unwittingly Films Murder
By Carl Schreck 2 June 2005
The videotape helps lead police to four men suspected of killing a Moscow businessman over a $250,000 debt.
Rap Star Beaten, Left Under Bridge
By Carl Schreck 26 May 2005
A member of the rap group Diskoteka Avaria went missing for two days before he was found under a bridge in central Moscow on Monday.
Police Hunt for a Thief In Catholic Priest Robes
By Carl Schreck 19 May 2005
Police are on the lookout for a thief dressed as a Roman Catholic priest who is believed to have robbed two music directors.
Driver Finds Explosives in Used Car
By Carl Schreck 12 May 2005
A local man who decided to clean up his car Tuesday night got an unpleasant surprise when he discovered a grenade and 100 grams of TNT.
A Chinese Takeout, With Extra Sauce
By Carl Schreck 5 May 2005
Police have arrested two Chinese nationals on suspicion of hiring a student from the People’s Friendship University to kill a business partner.
Podolsk Mayor Held in Political Rival's Killing
By Carl Schreck 28 April 2005
The mayor of Podolsk, a town just south of Moscow, has been arrested on charges of ordering the killing of a political rival.
Ex-Dagestani Politician and Wife Slain
By Carl Schreck 21 April 2005
A former Dagestani politician who raised minks and dabbled in boxing was found dead in his Moscow apartment along with his common-law wife.
Drug Police Seize Cannabis Garden
By Carl Schreck 7 April 2005
Drug police have arrested a Moscow region man on suspicion of growing copious amounts of cannabis in his apartment and selling it to the teenage patrons of a dance club that he operates.
Convicts' Extortion Scheme Backfires
By Carl Schreck 31 March 2005
Anybody who has ever spent time in a Russian detention facility will tell you that you can get anything you need for the right price: cell phones, books, chess sets, good food, cigarettes, drugs.
4 Suspected of Forging U.S. Visas
By Carl Schreck 17 March 2005
Four suspects have been charged with fraud for selling crude counterfeit visas to the United States and Europe to unwitting travelers.
Few Human Trafficking Cases Registered in 2004
By Carl Schreck 3 March 2005
Only 25 cases of human trafficking and slave labor were registered last year, but an Interior Ministry official said this was only the tip of the iceberg and understaffed police forces and hesitant victims were hindering prevention efforts.
For Young Home Buyers, It's Murder
By Carl Schreck 10 February 2005
For one young Moscow couple trying to take their first steps on the housing ladder, a bloodthirsty plan to avoid taking out a high-interest mortgage has left them facing a 7 1/2-year stretch in less comfortable accommodation.
Police: No Skinheads in Moscow
By Carl Schreck 3 February 2005
Moscow police chief Vladimir Pronin put in his two cents about reports of organized skinhead activity in the capital, saying there couldn't be a problem because there are no skinheads.
Chevy Niva Is Most Stolen Car
By Carl Schreck 27 January 2005
The film world is abuzz with speculation on which films will clean up at the U.S. Academy Awards next month, but if the Russian crime world were to bestow similar honors, there would be no doubt about which car would drive off the stage triumphantly in the "Most Stolen Automobile" category.
Retired Officer Torn Apart by Guard Dogs
By Carl Schreck 20 January 2005
A retired Interior Ministry officer was killed last week after he was torn apart by guard dogs that his acquaintance had sicced on him in the midst of a drunken quarrel, police said.
Burglars Make Off With $1.2M in Cash, Medals
By Carl Schreck 13 January 2005
Only four days into 2005, burglars pulled off what may be the heist of the year, stealing $1.2 million in cash and valuables from the Moscow apartment of a university director, police said.
Angry Spouses, Toilets and a Fried Dog
By Carl Schreck 30 December 2004
With murder victims flushed down toilets, contract hits ordered by spouses and a tenant cooking up his landlady's dog for snacks, 2004 was a typically grisly and disturbing year in Moscow crime.
