Three Property Thefts Solved in Lipetsk

A 36-year-old local resident contacted Police Department No. 4 of the UMVD of Russia for Lipetsk (the Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Lipetsk, hereinafter UMVD) about the theft of her minor son«s bicycle worth 32,900 rubles (about $366 at current rates). On July 15, the boy rode his bicycle to a store in the afternoon and left it unlocked in the parking lot. When he came out, the bicycle was gone.

Criminal investigation operatives identified the suspect within a day. He turned out to be a 52-year-old resident of Lipetsk. During the investigation, it was established that the man saw the unlocked bicycle on a bike rack, got on it, and rode to his workplace. There, police officers discovered the stolen property. The bicycle has been seized and will be returned to its owner. A criminal case has been opened under Article 158, Part 2, Paragraph «c» of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (theft causing significant damage). The maximum penalty under this article is up to five years in prison.

On July 5, a 75-year-old pensioner contacted Police Department No. 7 of the UMVD of Russia for Lipetsk. She reported the theft of 17,000 rubles (about $189 at current rates) from her bank account using a lost phone. Operatives identified a previously convicted, unemployed 23-year-old resident of Gryazi district (Lipetsk Oblast) as the suspect. It turned out that the suspect found someone else«s cell phone in the regional center and made no attempt to return it to the owner. He kept the find, removed the SIM card, and inserted it into his own phone. Using the banking app, the offender transferred 17,000 rubles to pay off a friend»s debt, and paid a taxi driver with the found phone for the ride. Criminal cases have been opened under Parts 2 and 3 of Article 158 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Theft.» The sanctions provide for up to six years in prison.

The theft of property from a garage was also solved. A 46-year-old victim lost two batteries, a compressor, and a heat gun. The damage amounted to 40,000 rubles (about $444 at current rates). The man suspected his acquaintance, to whom he had previously rented the garage for car repairs. The suspect is a 47-year-old resident of Lipetsk. It was established that the suspect knew the victim and at the beginning of the year rented the garage from him in exchange for repairing the owner«s car. The owner had prohibited the use of property kept in the garage, but the suspect used the heat gun for heating, which burned out, and he threw it away. He inserted the two batteries into other people»s cars during repairs, and they remained in the repaired vehicles. The compressor was returned. Material damage has been fully compensated. A criminal case has been opened under Article 158, Part 1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Theft.» The maximum penalty is up to two years in prison.