A Ukrainian man residing in Rochester has been sentenced for making false statements after sinking an abandoned boat in Lake Ontario, sparking a costly search and rescue operation.
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Vyacheslav S. Migitskiy, a 34-year-old Ukrainian national residing in Rochester, NY, has been sentenced for making a materially false statement. U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. sentenced Migitskiy to time served and ordered him to pay $15,442 in restitution.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who prosecuted the case, detailed that on August 25, 2022, Migitskiy towed a 25-foot Bayliner boat onto Lake Ontario with the intention of sinking it. After sinking the abandoned vessel without reporting it, civilian witnesses discovered the partially submerged boat the following day and alerted the United States Coast Guard. This triggered an immediate search and rescue operation involving the Coast Guard, New York State Police, and other law enforcement agencies. The operation, which included surface vessels, aircraft, and SCUBA search teams, cost the Coast Guard $14,194 and the New York State Police $1,248.
When interviewed by a Coast Guard Special Agent on October 4, 2022, Migitskiy falsely claimed he had donated the boat to unnamed individuals. He provided misleading descriptions of these individuals, the manner in which they took possession of the vessel, and the fate of the vessel’s trailer.
The investigation and subsequent sentencing were the result of a coordinated effort by multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, New York State Police, Gates Police Department, Rochester Fire Department, Irondequoit Police Department, and Greece Police Department.
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