In Zhytomyr region, two men were arrested for "extorting" money from the wife of a serviceman

In Zhytomyr region, two men were arrested for "extorting" money from the wife of a serviceman

In the city of Berdychiv, Zhytomyr region, two men were detained for "extorting" money from the common-law wife of a Ukrainian Armed Forces serviceman. They threatened the woman, forcing her to pay her husband’s nonexistent debt.

One of the perpetrators already has a conviction for fraud and is accused of theft. This was reported on November 1 by the Office of the Prosecutor General.

According to the investigation, in September of this year, two residents of Berdychiv arranged a meeting with the victim and demanded payment of 50,000 hryvnias. The woman denied the existence of any debt of her common-law husband.

Meanwhile, the suspects threatened her with physical violence and blackmailed her with the disclosure of confidential information. Under psychological pressure, the victim pawned a laptop and paid part of the "debt."

The suspects continued to demand the remaining money and, upon her appeal to law enforcement, threatened her with physical violence. They also gave her a "final deadline" to pay the money.

Fearing for her life, the woman was forced to gather another sum. After the victim handed over 10,000 hryvnias, law enforcement officers detained both men under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine.

Under the procedural guidance of the Zhytomyr Regional Prosecutor’s Office, the suspects were charged with extortion (part 4 of Article 189 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). They were taken into custody without the right to bail.

The pre-trial investigation in this case is being conducted by the main department of the National Police in the Zhytomyr region, with operational support provided by the Strategic Investigations Department in the region of the NPU.