Kyiv and Odesa Criminal Network Uncovered
Authorities in Kyiv have exposed a criminal group of six individuals who illegally seized five apartments belonging to deceased persons in Kyiv and Odesa. Among the suspects are a former head of a court in the Kyiv region—previously charged in a fatal traffic accident—along with a director of a unit within the State Enforcement Service of Ukraine’s Ministry of Justice, two lawyers, and two civilians. According to the prosecutor’s office, the group specifically targeted properties owned by people who had died or had been absent for extended periods.
How the Scheme Operated
To carry out their plan, members of the organization forged title documents, inserted fictitious debtors, and created fake loan agreements worth millions of hryvnias. The former judge ensured favorable court rulings were issued, while the enforcement service chief opened enforcement proceedings and ordered the seizure of the apartments. Through this scheme, they managed to take control of five apartments; a sixth property remained beyond their reach because the operation was discovered before it could be completed.
Four of the six suspects face charges of participating in a criminal organization, repeated fraud committed by a criminal organization on an especially large scale, and an attempted fraud that was carried through to completion. The other two are accused of forming the criminal organization. The former judge has already been placed in pretrial detention without the possibility of bail. Investigators conducted searches at the court, enforcement service offices, notary offices, and the suspects’ homes, workplaces, and vehicles, seizing court case files, enforcement documents, and other evidence.
This case has sparked widespread public concern, as the involvement of a former judge with a prior criminal record highlights serious issues within Ukraine’s justice system.
The prosecutor’s office is continuing its investigation to bring all those involved to justice under the following articles of Ukraine’s Criminal Code:
- Article 255, Part 2
- Article 28, Part 4
- Article 190, Part 4
- Article 15, Part 2
- Article 28, Part 4
- Article 190, Part 4
As this case unfolds, it draws parallels to another recent incident involving a former judge and his accomplices accused of similar crimes against deceased residents in Kyiv. This highlights a disturbing trend of exploitation within the real estate sector, raising questions about the effectiveness of legal protections for vulnerable property owners.