Federal prosecutors say a pair of Manhattan Diamond District pawnbrokers who turned their shop into a high-volume fencing hub for traveling burglary crews are headed to federal prison. Dimitriy Nezhinskiy and Juan Villar, operators of Big Apple General Buyers on West 47th Street, received multi-year sentences in Brooklyn federal court after pleading guilty. Authorities say their operation moved millions of dollars in stolen watches, jewelry and designer goods swiped in burglaries across the United States.
“The defendants tried to make a quick buck by buying stolen valuables from transnational criminals, and in doing so, bought themselves lengthy prison sentences.” - U.S. Attorney's Office, EDNY https://x.com/i/status/2047423372305326550
- US Attorney EDNY (@EDNYnews) April 23, 2026
Court judgment spells out the punishment
According to a judgment posted on GovInfo, each defendant received a 46-month prison sentence, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The judgment notes prosecutors' estimate that the pair took in roughly $2.6 million in stolen property. The court also referenced an Order of Forfeiture entered in February 2026 and reserved the final restitution amount for a later proceeding, with restitution and forfeiture orders still to come.
How prosecutors say the scheme worked
As detailed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, prosecutors say Nezhinskiy and Villar served as fences for so-called South American Theft Groups that roamed the country targeting wealthy residential areas and jewelry vendors. Undercover officers carried out controlled buys between October 2022 and January 2024, selling what they represented as stolen handbags, watches and other luxury goods to the defendants at their Diamond District storefront.
Where officers recovered goods
The FBI's New York Field Office says agents seized dozens of high-end watches and pieces of jewelry from Big Apple General Buyers at 75 West 47th Street during a February 2025 raid. Investigators later found additional luxury items, wine and sports memorabilia in storage units in New Jersey. Those seizures, along with large amounts of cash discovered on site, formed the backbone of the government's case and helped investigators track victims' losses.
Athletes and a national reach
Court filings and subsequent reporting tied the shop to at least two dozen residential or commercial burglaries across the country, and prosecutors said phone records linked Nezhinskiy to members of a crew associated with a December 9, 2024 break-in at an Ohio athlete's home. Reporting by The Associated Press noted that the probe overlapped with a run of high-profile burglaries that included homes connected to professional athletes.
Sentence, restitution and legal fallout
The defendants pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive stolen property under 18 U.S.C. § 371, and the indictment also contained counts under 18 U.S.C. § 2315 related to interstate transportation of stolen goods, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The judgment reserved a final restitution figure and ordered forfeiture of items listed in the February 2026 forfeiture order, with victims' losses to be set in follow-up proceedings. The Associated Press reported that the judge said Nezhinskiy "could also face deportation" as a collateral consequence of his conviction.
Local coverage and what's next
Diamond District raid coverage tracked the arrests and early court filings when news of the investigation first surfaced in February 2025. Prosecutors say they will continue outreach to potential victims and that restitution proceedings and any evidentiary hearings are expected to unfold in the coming weeks, with forfeiture already ordered by the court.
