Serial thief in Tallinn sentenced to five years in prison for dozens of store thefts

A court in Tallinn has handed down a verdict in the case of 48-year-old Roman Sukhov, who had previously been convicted of theft. Over the course of about six months last year, he committed 52 thefts in various grocery store chains. Some of the thefts remained at the attempt stage because he was detained by store security.

According to prosecutor Eve Soostar, criminal behavior had become part of the man's daily life. "Sukhov stole mostly expensive alcohol, as well as coffee beans, salmon fillet, and chocolate. The stolen goods were later resold to obtain money for the purchase of narcotic substances," Soostar said.

The man was also accused of misappropriating methadone during a substitution therapy course and illegally transferring it. "Specifically, Sukhov would take methadone out of the dispensing point by holding it in his mouth. He would then put it into a bottle and illegally sell the liquid containing methadone to third parties for 55 euros," the prosecutor reported.

It is currently known that the sold substance ended up in the hands of a minor, who later died after showing signs of poisoning from the combined use of methadone and other substances. In this regard, the prosecutor's office has initiated a separate criminal investigation against a 21-year-old woman suspected of passing the substance to the minor.

The court found Sukhov guilty of systematic theft and illegal drug trafficking in small amounts, imposing the maximum penalty provided by law—five years of actual imprisonment. Sukhov must also compensate the grocery stores for damages amounting to approximately 7,330 euros. The verdict has not yet entered into force.