Following six days of trial, a federal jury in Brooklyn today returned a guilty verdict against Mark Krivoi on all four counts of an indictment charging him with kidnapping, kidnapping conspiracy, extortion and extortion conspiracy in connection with the violent assault of a teenage victim who had started a cleaning business that competed with a similar business operated by Krivoi’s co-defendant Ruslan Reizin. Krivoi faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on each count when he is sentenced by United States District Judge Eric N. Vitaliano. Reizin pleaded guilty to the same four counts on October 4, 2018.
Richard P. Donoghue, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the verdict.
“As found by the jury, Krivoi provided the muscle in the vicious shakedown of a young man who was threatened and beaten simply for starting a competing business," stated United States Attorney Donoghue. “Using violence to intimidate a business competitor will never be tolerated in our community. I commend the FBI Special Agents and our prosecutors for responding swiftly and effectively to the victim’s complaint resulting in today’s verdict." Mr. Donoghue also expressed his grateful appreciation to the agents and detectives of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department.
The evidence presented at trial showed that Krivoi and Reizin, who are cousins, participated in a violent extortion conspiracy targeting the 19-year-old victim after he had left Reizin’s employ to start his own power-washing business. Reizin warned the victim that he was not permitted to work in Brooklyn and demanded a meeting with him to resolve the issue. On May 22, 2017, Krivoi and Reizin drove the victim to a secluded location in Sheepshead Bay. Reizin held the victim at knifepoint and warned him that Krivoi was a “soldier" in “Bratva," a local motorcycle club that’s name means “brotherhood" in Russian. Reizin demanded $10,000 from the victim and when the victim replied that he could not afford to pay that amount, Reizin turned to Krivoi and uttered a Russian word that means “go." Krivoi repeatedly punched the victim knocking him to the ground. Krivoi threatened to kill the victim and bury him on the spot. The victim agreed to pay $5,000, but then contacted the FBI.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gang Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Jacobs and Andrey Spektor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
MARK KRIVOI (also known as “Igor")
Age: 55
Brooklyn, New York
E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 18-CR-100 (ENV)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
