A serial burglar in New York City was able to target local businesses over a dozen times due to the state’s lenient bail policies — until his blatant disobedience to the law finally led to his capture, as reported by The Post.
Orest Kovalshyn, 37, has been arrested multiple times for commercial burglary across Queens and Brooklyn since 2022, but was consistently released because state reform laws prevent judges from imposing bail.
Despite Brooklyn prosecutors securing a conviction last year that resulted in a 1-to-3-year prison sentence for Kovalshyn, he managed to return to the streets in less than a year and was promptly re-arrested.
However, his most recent arrest came shortly after his release from prison, when Kovalshyn skipped court one too many times, was apprehended for two new burglaries in Queens, and breached his state parole.
The 2019 criminal justice reforms prevent Empire State judges from setting bail for many criminal offenses, especially those involving non-violent theft and larceny.
According to a disheartened law enforcement official, Kovalshyn should have been behind bars long before his latest run-in with the law.
“He was too preoccupied with burgling stores at night to attend his morning court sessions,” the source relayed to The Post. “It’s the same old story—criminals are not held accountable, and innocent people suffer the consequences.”
Kovalshyn already had a history of thefts when he faced charges from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office for eight separate burglaries committed between November 2022 and January 2023. This led to a sentence at the Cape Vincent Correctional Facility in July 2024 for up to three years.
State correction records indicate he was released by the end of November.
In early June, Brooklyn prosecutors brought forward additional charges against Kovalshyn for three more burglaries stemming from August 2023, while the Queens DA’s office added two more related to thefts on December 16, 2022, and September 8, 2023—all occurring before his term in prison.
Still, the repeat offender remained free and failed to appear for his court dates.
This situation led the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision to file a parole violation against him on June 27, according to a department representative.
Following this, fresh allegations surfaced as Kovalshyn committed further thefts, stealing $200 each from Xugar Salon on August 28 and Fei Yan Nail Spa on September 9 in Queens.
He was arrested on September 30 and finally detained without bail due to his court absences and the existing state parole violation, as noted in the records.
“His recent arrests are currently under examination by this department, and a new violation of release report will be generated once the parole officer’s inquiry is completed,” a spokesperson for the state corrections department stated via email.
