A 35-year-old Kyiv resident has been notified of suspicion of fraud amounting to 30,000 US dollars under the pretext of supplying drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, UNN reports with reference to the capital's prosecutor's office.
Prosecutors of the Solomianskyi District Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv have notified a 35-year-old Kyiv resident of suspicion of large-scale fraud, committed repeatedly, under martial law. The suspect's actions are classified under Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine
Details
Law enforcement officers established that the Kyiv resident entered the circle of volunteers, philanthropists, and other people helping the Armed Forces of Ukraine, where he positioned himself as a reliable supplier of drones and other military equipment from abroad. At the same time, the man introduced himself by his brother's name. To gain trust and recommendations from acquaintances, the suspect did purchase drones in European countries for several people.
Later, in September 2023, he received 30,000 US dollars from a potential buyer – partly in cash, partly to a crypto wallet. For this money, he promised to purchase and deliver 6 Mavic 3t quadcopters from abroad within 5-7 days. The buyer has not yet seen the promised drones. For a long time, the man told the buyer about problems at the border, asked him to wait, sent photos, and then turned off his phone and went into hiding.
During a search of the apartment where the suspect lived, masks he used for conspiracy were found, as well as lists of his customers, so other victims of the fraud are currently being identified.
The prosecutor's office added that in 2017, this man had already been convicted of fraud and sentenced to 5 years and 6 months in prison. At that time, he offered entrepreneurs to bring iPhones from abroad at favorable prices, collecting over 200,000 US dollars.
The suspect in the fraud case was remanded in custody with the possibility of posting bail in the amount of 1,097,058 hryvnias. He was taken into custody in the courtroom.