Two Charged for Six Burglaries of $150,000 in Valuables from Bensonhurst Homes and Businesses.

BoroPark24 Staff

Two Brooklyn men were arraigned Wednesday on an indictment for allegedly committing a string of six burglaries in Bensonhurst between August 2022 and January 2023. Two of the burglaries were of private dwellings and four were local stores.

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Sam Kravchenko, 36, of Coney Island, Brooklyn, and John Catullo, 55, of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. They were arraigned today before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Donald Leo on a 74-count indictment in which they are variously charged with fourth-, fifth- and sixth-degree conspiracy, second- and third-degree burglary, third- and fourth-degree grand larceny, third-, fourth- and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, possession of burglars’ tools, trespass and related charges. They were ordered held without bail and to return to court on September 20, 2023.

The defendants were charged in connection with the following incidents:

• On August 8, 2022, burglary of a private home on West 12th Street in Gravesend where two Rolex watches, a Cartier gold watch, a gold necklace with a diamond cross, a gold bracelet, a diamond bracelet, and diamond earrings were stolen.

• On September 6, 2022, burglary of a grocery store on 17th Avenue in Bensonhurst, where a safe containing approximately $15,000 cash and a cash register containing petty cash was stolen.

• On October 6, 2022,  burglary of a grocery store located on Bath Avenue in Bath Beach where a security box containing approximately $10,000 cash and a cash register containing petty cash were stolen.

• On October 6, 2022, burglary of a grocery store located on New Utrecht Avenue in Bensonhurst, where a security box containing approximately $10,000 cash and a cash register containing petty cash were stolen.

• On November 13, 2022, burglary of a vape shop on 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst where approximately $38,211 worth of merchandise was stolen.

• On January 18, 2023, burglary of a private home located on 76th Street in Bensonhurst where approximately $7,000 cash, two Rolexes, a Cartier bracelet, a necklace and matching earring set, and a gold necklace were stolen.

Defendant Kravchenko was arrested on January 26, 2023, after a car stop for failure to signal. He was driving with a suspended license, and police recovered 39 Oxycodone pills in his vehicle along with two police scanners. Upon further investigation using cell phone sites, enhanced video and other evidence, the defendants were linked to the burglaries.

 “These defendants are allegedly professional burglars whose crime spree violated the sanctity of local homeowners and businesses in the Bensonhurst community,” District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said,  “and we will now seek to hold them accountable. Together with the NYPD, we have been focusing enforcement efforts on alleged repeat offenders, leading to a double-digit percentage decline in Brooklyn burglaries so far this year.”