A racketeer who demanded $40,000 from a business owner for a fictitious debt was arrested in Uzhhorod

In Uzhhorod, law enforcement officers detained a 53-year-old local resident who extorted money from a business owner under the pretext of a nonexistent debt. The man faces 7 to 12 years in prison with confiscation of property.

According to law enforcement, the suspect visited the businessman and called him, initially demanding $40,000.

The man claimed that the businessman allegedly owed him money for help with registering a land plot. Later, realizing that the requested amount was too large for the victim, the suspect reduced his demand to $10,000.

However, even after receiving the first payment, the extortion did not stop.

“To force the businessman to pay, he was threatened with physical violence, harassment, and damage to his property. After receiving the first payment, the extortion did not stop—the amounts continued to rise, and interest was added to the fictitious debt,” law enforcement officials said.

In July, the victim handed over $3,000 to the perpetrator, and in August—another $4,000.

On October 6, while receiving another $3,000, the 53-year-old Uzhhorod resident was detained by law enforcement officers. As seen in the published photos, the detention took place on Mariya Zankovetska Street in Uzhhorod.

The man is charged under Part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—extortion committed by a group of persons acting in concert under martial law.

The penalty under this article provides for 7 to 12 years of imprisonment with confiscation of property.

The Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office is also investigating the involvement of another man in the extortion. According to law enforcement officials, he has been abroad for a long time and is evading justice.

According to Vitaliy Glagola, a member of the Uzhhorod City Council, the group may be linked to Oleg Konovalenko, the former deputy head of the Department for Combating Organized Crime (UBOP) in the Zakarpattia region.

According to Vitaliy Glagola, Konovalenko currently lives in Hungary and is on the run from the law.

After ending his career in law enforcement, Police Lieutenant Colonel Oleg Konovalenko became head of the Track and Field Federation in Zakarpattia Oblast.

In September 2024, he found himself at the center of a scandal. At that time, a video appeared online showing the official training in a martial arts gym wearing a tracksuit with the word “Russia” on it and joking about Transcarpathia’s secession from Ukraine.

After the video surfaced, the Ukrainian Athletics Federation (UAF) called on law enforcement to intervene in the situation.

Law enforcement officials are currently continuing to investigate all the circumstances of the extortion and are examining the possible involvement of other individuals in the crime.

This was reported on October 7 by the Transcarpathian Regional Prosecutor’s Office.