Nine Charged in East Coast Syndicate Racketeering Ring

Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach underworld is under federal siege after nine members of an Eastern European organized crime syndicate were charged with racketeering, extortion, loansharking, illegal gambling, and drug trafficking. Eight were taken into custody, while one remains at large, according to an indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

The arrests, announced by U.S. Attorney Robert L. Capers and backed by DEA, NYPD, HSI, NYSP, and IRS officials, culminate a long-term probe by the DEA’s New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force. Initial appearances and arraignments are scheduled for this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione at the Brooklyn federal courthouse.

As detailed in the indictment, the defendants operated under the direction of “thieves in law” — high-ranking crime figures based in former Soviet states — who authorized violence and international extortion. Syndicate operations spanned Brooklyn’s Coney Island and Brighton Beach neighborhoods, with reach extending into Russia, Israel, and beyond. Wiretap evidence reveals one defendant, Gershman, declaring, “The Thieves have found him . . . in Israel,” after tracking an alleged debtor’s father in Russia.

The group, which included naturalized U.S. citizens from Eastern Europe and Ukrainian citizen Aleksey Tsvetkov, generated millions through criminal enterprise since at least March 2016. They enforced debt collection with threats of violence, including one victim being warned that a “boxer with cauliflower ears” would handle repayment. Interest rates hit 100% annually, and debts totaled in the millions.

High-stakes illegal poker games served as another profit stream, with single games reaching $150,000 in wagers. The syndicate also trafficked at least 100 kilograms of marijuana, according to the indictment. Despite lacking legitimate employment, defendants moved vast sums through bank accounts and were seen driving luxury vehicles.

Investigative tools included court-authorized wiretaps, surveillance, confidential informants, and controlled drug buys. The case underscores the transnational reach of organized crime networks exploiting Brooklyn’s immigrant enclaves. All defendants face federal charges carrying severe penalties, including lengthy prison sentences if convicted.

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