New York – Two men accused of selling stolen valuables from wealthy homes around the country; Includes the home of NFL star Joe Barrowpleaded not guilty in a New York City court Wednesday afternoon.
Dmitriy Nezhinskiy, 43, of North Bergen, New Jersey, and Juan Villar, 48, of Queens, were arrested Tuesday when the Diamond District Pawn Shop was attacked by the FBI.
Prosecutors say Bengals quarterback Joe Barrow is targeting robbery businesses all over the country.
Nezhinskiy and Villar are said to have received and sold stolen luxury items, such as high-end watches and jewelry.
Prosecutors say the gangs are targeting millions of dollars homes across the country, reportedly The Cincinnati Bengals’ quarterback house was one of them..
Prosecutors told Judge Nezinski and Villar that they “established a market that promotes robbery.” They also said the firearm was found in a storage unit in New Jersey.
Nezinski’s lawyer Todd Greenberg said he doesn’t know who owns the gun, but it doesn’t belong to Nezinski.
The suspect remains in custody after the attack on a pawn shop in the Diamond District
Nezhinskiy is a Georgian citizen who has been in the United States since the 1990s. He has a past criminal history here. Previous accusations include disorderly conduct, possession of forging equipment and theft.
He is released on a $1 million bond along with home detention. His father has posted two condos he owns.
Villar has a previous criminal history, including assault. His wife, a New York City teacher and a friend were in court to provide $250,000 for his bail package. The judge told them, “This amount is not enough.”
Prosecutors have argued for detention, calling the defendant a risk and a flight risk to the community.
“At this point, the judges show that they will be arrested at home. How about them becoming dangerous to the community?” said Rualino Guzman, Villar’s lawyer.
Both will remain in custody until Nezhinskiy’s papers pass and until Villar can come up with more money.
Villar will return to court on Thursday to see if he can come up with more money for bail. Both returned to court on Friday.
Details of CBS News
Alice Gayner
