Russian Heiress Files Rs 42 Lakh Suit Against Roommate For Stealing Designer Bags And Jewelry

A Russian heiress, a political science major at New York University (NYU), is suing her roommate for $51,000 (approximately Rs 42 lakh) for stealing her luxury bags and jewellery. The plaintiff, Aurora Agapov, is the daughter of a Russian mining mogul whose board of directors includes Russian President Vladimir Putin. She is accusing 18-year-old Kaitlyn Fung of stealing her items from brands like Chanel, Gucci, and Bvlgari.

The 19-year-old, who lives in NYU’s Founders Hall dorms, suspected Kaitlyn Fung of theft when she noticed many of her luxury items like her Celine tote bag and a ruby ring went missing from the dorm. One day she found a receipt of the consignment retailer The Real Real inside Kaitlyn Fung’s wallet. The Real Real is a marketplace where people can buy and sell luxury goods after they are authenticated by experts. The Real Real receipt confirmed Aurora Agapov’s suspicions. According to The Cut when Aurora Agapov confronted her roommate, she admitted to stealing and listing the luxury items on The Real Real.

When Aurora Agapov went to The Real Real’s Soho store, she was told that Kaitlyn Fung’s mother picked up all the items that her daughter had previously listed with them. In response to the controversy, The Real Real said in a statement, “If we receive any information that items might be stolen, we act fast by removing them from the site and starting an investigation.”

The heiress reported her now-former roommate to police who was arrested on charges of third-degree grand larceny on May 2. Kaitlyn Fung was released, as the case is pending.

By the end of May, Aurora Agapov filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court and demanded that Kaitlyn Fung return her things and also pay her $51,000 (approximately Rs 42 lakh) in compensation. As per The Cut, in her lawsuit, Aurora Agapov claimed that Kaitlyn Fung sold the luxury items at a much lower price.

For instance, her Chanel bracelet worth $2,000 (approximately Rs 1.6 lakh) was sold for $175 (approximately Rs 14,000). Her $13,000 Bvlgari necklace (approximately Rs 10 lakh) was sold for $2,485 (approximately Rs 2 lakh). On June 6, Kaitlyn Fung’s father was served a summons for his daughter to answer the filing within 30 days.