NYC Police Nab 2 for Selling Stolen Equipment to Business Owners

The New York City Department of Investigation says two men hawking stolen fire extinguishers have been arrested on charges of grand larceny and reckless endangerment.

Sergey Vishnev and Maxin Ilim, both of Brooklyn, demanded a business owner buy fire extinguishers for $1,350, investigators say. They threatened to report the establishment to the Fire Marshal and shut it down if the extinguishers weren’t purchased.

Investigators say the owner paid an initial $700 and was given four inoperable extinguishers, two of which were found to be stolen. The suspects didn’t have the authority to inspect, certify or sell the equipment, or to shut down businesses for not purchasing the product, authorities say.

Investigators didn’t know if the suspects had attorneys. There was no answer at a number for Vishnev and no listing for Ilim.