Sergey Armless thief Country: Russia

1. The Biography of the Handless Thief
2. Stealing with the Help of Trusting Neighbors
3. A Widespread Crime Spree
4. The Arrest of the Handless Thief
5. The Trial and Death

The Biography of the Handless Thief

It turns out that you can steal even without hands, as long as you have a head on your shoulders. The saying "Necessity is the mother of invention" holds true, especially for thieves who need to make a living. The police in Tobolsk, Russia were in for a surprise when they brought in a thief who had no hands. Sergey M. had lost both of his limbs in an unfortunate accident at a gas station where he used to work. Now, as a young disabled man, he had to live a beggarly existence. He could no longer work, as no one would hire a person without hands, and his disability pension was not enough to cover even the bare necessities. Sergey, who used to enjoy a good time with friends and a bottle of alcohol, was not willing to give up this habit. So, he decided to make money through theft. The scale of his crimes and the methods he used left no one indifferent.

Stealing with the Help of Trusting Neighbors

Working alone, Sergey managed to rob more than 12 apartments in Tobolsk and the surrounding area. He took advantage of people's trust and their lack of familiarity with their new neighbors. Sergey would find suitable apartments and, when the owners were not home, he would knock on a neighboring door and ask for help getting "home" because he had lost his keys and couldn't pick the lock without hands. People were sympathetic towards their handless "neighbor" and not only opened the door for him but also helped carry out the valuable items from their neighbors' apartments, as directed by the "owner." Essentially, they were committing theft on his behalf.

For a while, nobody questioned the disabled man's explanation that he was transporting the items because he was going to a sanatorium. However, the suspicious nature of this request became apparent when among the items were televisions, carpets, and audio and video equipment. Nonetheless, the compassionate neighbors loaded the stolen goods into a waiting car without suspecting the poor handicapped man. Sergey would then disappear calmly, and the scandal would only erupt when the actual owners returned from work to find their apartments ransacked. Confused neighbors would explain that they could not refuse the disabled man's request for help. Meanwhile, the handless thief was already in a safe place.

A Widespread Crime Spree

The handless criminal did not limit his thefts to his hometown of Podolsk. Leaving "special marks" wherever he went, Sergey expanded the geography of his crimes to the Moscow region and other parts of Russia. In one of the apartments in Balashikha, he managed to steal items worth several million rubles with the help of friendly neighbors. He also "performed" in Bryansk, where he simply robbed four apartments worth 13.5 million rubles using the same method. He appeared frequently in police reports.

The Arrest of the Handless Thief

Despite the fact that the police were well aware of the handicapped genius' characteristics and his distinct modus operandi, he remained free and continued to carry out his unique and theatrical crimes. His signature style was the call to neighbors, asking them to open the door and help carry items to his car. If only he had at least one hand, he would have waved it at his victims and their unwitting accomplices. The arrest of the handless thief was almost accidental; even the police didn't have a chance to show off their abilities. A neighbor of one of the robbed apartments recognized him while he was selling stolen goods on the local market. As stated in the arrest report, the suspect "did not resist arrest." How could he resist? Fight the police officers with his head?

The Trial and Death

A high-profile trial ensued. Despite numerous mitigating factors and the court's mercy, Sergey had little hope. He had committed too many crimes and shocked many witnesses. However, considering his disability, the handless thief was sentenced to "only" five years in prison. We can only imagine what his life would have been like behind bars. Initially calm during the trial ("What can you do to me? I'm disabled!"), Sergey soon died in a pretrial detention center from a heart attack.