Two Russians arrested in Monterey last week in possession of 105 pre-paid cell phones may have been the same pair who attempted to purchase the inventory of cell phones at a Crossville business earlier in the month.
Stanislav Legkunets, 19, of Belleville, MI, and Konstantine Mkbitarian, 47, of Romulus, MI, were taken into custody by Monterey Police after an incident at the local Family Dollar Store on E. Commercial Ave. in Monterey. The two told authorities they are natives of the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Monterey Police Lt. Richard Lynch and Ptl. Sandra Cooper were dispatched to the business after two customers refused to leave the business when store employees asked them, the Hilltop Express of Monterey reported. Employees told police that the company had issued a directive that cell phones not be sold to the two individuals because of their suspicious activities in the region. It had been widely reported that two men with Eastern European accents were buying all the Trac Phones that stores in the region had in inventory.
Police asked the two to leave and then stopped their 2007 Chevrolet Impala when the pair remained in the area.
The two were then charged with criminal trespass and Homeland Security was called.
According to receipts found inside the vehicle, the 105 cell phones had been purchased at various locations in Kentucky and Tennessee. In addition to the phones, police also found a Dell laptop computer and $6,000 in cash.
On June 2 Crossville Police Ptl. Danny Harris filed a report after talking with local management of the Family Dollar Store in Cumberland Plaza. An employee told police that she had been having contact with three men who spoke with Russian accents who had purchased Trac phones from the store. The last transaction was May 20, according to the report.
A tag number for the vehicle in the local incident was traced back to a Virginia address.
The TBI and city detectives were notified of the local incident.
So far, there has been no response or comment from Homeland Security officials.
