KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s office Friday charged a 32-year-old Lee’s Summit man in connection to at least 22 shoplifting cases involving more than $15,200 worth of merchandise.
Kristian Tchervenakov is charged with 15 counts of felony stealing of at least $750 for alleged incidents in 2023 and 2024.
Court documents filed in support of the charges outline how Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department detectives have been tracking Tchervenakov for nearly a year since December 2023 for his involvement as a “prolific shoplifting offender" in retail stores across the Kansas City area.
Police say Tchervenakov is a known fentanyl user with a distinctive facial profile. Detectives say they frequently saw Tchervenakov carrying a small cross-body bag with a red buckle in surveillance video of the alleged thefts. In some instances, Tchervenakov allegedly used a magnetic device to thwart store security scanners.
Detectives believe Tchervenakov was involved in 22 thefts between Dec. 21, 2023, and July 22, 2024, that totaled $15,230 worth of merchandise.
In September, prosecutors in Clay County charged Tchervenakov in two separate cases involving felony stealing in excess of $750.
On July 7, 2024, Tchervenakov allegedly used a magnetic key to steal two Dyson vacuums worth $1,179.98 from the Target store on NE Barry Road.
In another case, Tchervenakov was charged with felony theft of more than $750 for an incident on June 24, 2024, Target store on NE Chouteau Trafficway.
Tchervenakov again used a magnetic key to unlock two Roomba vacuums valued at $1,399.98.
Target security attempted to block Tchervenakov from leaving the store, but a verbal altercation ensued before Tchervenakov left the store with the stolen merchandise.
Police detectives worked with Target security to help identify Tchervenakov. In court documents filed in support of June 24, 2024, theft, Tchervenakov is described as “one of Target’s top offenders in the Kansas City market” having stolen roughly $70,000 of merchandise.
Tchervenakov has been charged several times between 2022 and 2024 for thefts in Johnson County, Kansas. Theft-related charges were filed on Oct. 15, 2024, July 31, 2024, Sept. 6, 2022, Sept. 1, 202, and May 3, 2022.
He was also charged on March 18, 2024, with felony possession and driving under the influence, of which he pleaded guilty.
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