A teenage Russian heiress is suing her roommate for allegedly stealing tens-of-thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and designer handbags.
Aurora Agapov, 19, daughter of Russian president of a gold mining company, Andre Agape, accused her former 18-year-old political-science major flatmate, Kaitlyn Fung, robbing her of approximately $51,000 worth of designer jewelry and handbags.
Her roommate then attempted to sell the items online, using an online shopping platform called The Real Real, hoping to cash out of Aurora’s belongings – many of which had sentimental value to her.
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The oligarch’s daughter “heart dropped” when she discovered that her alleged “good friend” has stolen her precious items to sell them off on the online marketplace.
“We spoke pretty much every day. I’d say we didn’t really have any falling outs or anything,” she said, “If anything our relationship got better towards the second semester.”
Kaitlyn was arrested on a third-degree grand larceny charge on May 2, but was later released, pending further legal proceedings. Aurora discovered the breadth of the alleged theft in late May, weeks after the arrest, realizing she had been robbed of thousands.
After investigating, she uncovered a receipt from The Real Real showing her items listed in Kaitlyn’s possession. Upon being confronted, Kaitlyn confessed to stealing Aurora’s luxury jewelry and handbags, subsequently listing them on The Real Real website at prices below their market value.
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With Aurora’s request, Kaitlyn signed into her account, where it became apparent to the arts student that she possessed Aurora’s exclusive pieces from renowned brands such as Gucci, Chanel, and Bvlgari, she claims in the lawsuit.
Aurora said that she “didn’t sleep that night,” and that her “mother gifted me those things. They mean a lot to me.”
She said that Kaitlyn disposed of these items online via consignment retailer, The Real Real, significantly undervaluing them in the process. According to her claims in the lawsuit, Fung sold a Bvlgari necklace valued at $13,000 for just $2,485 and a Chanel bracelet worth $2,000 for a mere $175.
Among the other valuable items were a Solange Azagury 18K ruby ring valued at $23,765, alongside several designer handbags including a Celine Nano tote valued at $3,300 and a Chanel purse valued at $4,000. These items were listed for sale but remained unsold upon discovery of the theft.
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However, some of her items were returned to Kaitlyn by The Real Real customers who purchased the items including a Gucci bag, Celine bag, and Christian Louboutin shoes. The Russian heiress immediately confronted Kaitlyn and eventually relocated from their dormitory at NYU’s Founders Hall on East 12th Street.
Aurora also confirmed that she went to The Real Real’s Soho store to inform them about what happened, instead learned from an employee that Kaitlyn’s mother had picked up all the listed items a few days earlier. In return, Kaitlyn has been slapped with $51,000 lawsuit in New York Supreme Court, for the damages and demands the Fungs family to return her things.
Recently, Kaitlyn’s father received a summons on June 6th for the 18-year-old to respond to Aurora’s filing within 30 days. Aurora’s father, Andre Agapov is a Russian-American with reported ties to Putin and the wider Russian government with net worth of $75 million.
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Aurora’s father and grandfather oversee Rusoro Mining, a company based in British Columbia, Canada, dedicated to mining gold and other minerals. The company maintains ties to Venezuela, as indicated on its website, highlighting Andre’s pivotal role in its progress within the South American nation, which has maintained diplomatic ties with Russia.
The New York University spokesperson, John Beckman told Newsweek that “Speaking generally and not about a specific case: stealing from a roommate is a lousy thing to do, and a rarity among the 12,000 students we have in student housing.
“It violates NYU’s code of conduct as well as the law, and the University takes it seriously. Someone who stole a roommate’s valuable property would likely be immediately removed from the room, would be subject to disciplinary proceedings, and would typically face serious consequences, such as suspension.”
Kaitlyn is due in court on June 20.
