Men Arrested & Charged In Violent Extortion of Teenager in Southern Brooklyn

SOUTHERN BROOKLYN – Two Brooklyn men, Ruslan Reizin (50) and Mark Krivoi (54) were charged with extortion conspiracy this afternoon, in a case that reads like straight out of a crime novel.

According to the court filings, after Reizin learned back in May of this year that a teenager who used to work for his awning cleaning company had started a competing business, he and Krivoi “brought the victim to a secluded location in Sheepshead Bay where Reizin allegedly grabbed the victim by the throat, brandished a knife and gave him the choice of having his ear cut off or his throat slashed” U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York said in a press release.

“Krivoi allegedly suggested that they should kill the victim. Reizin then demanded that the victim shut down his business and pay $10,000 to Reizin and a local motorcycle club to which Reizin belongs, and which Reizin claimed supported the extortion.

When the victim replied that he could not afford to pay, Reizin instructed Krivoi to hit the victim, which Krivoi did, repeatedly. Reizin then offered the victim a “discount,” requiring him to pay $5,000 in monthly installments. Reizin also told the victim that he and his family would suffer if the victim reported the assault to law enforcement.

Over the next several months, the victim made regular payments to Reizin. During that period, in a recorded call with the victim, Reizin spoke about “cut[ting] out” the ear
of one of the victim’s family members and “forc[ing him] to chew and swallow it.”

The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, however, if convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.