Russian heiress, 19, whose dad has links to Vladimir Putin, sues NYU roommate for stealing over $50,000 in bags, jewels

Russian heiress Aurora Agapov filed a case against NYU roommate Kaitlyn Fung, alleging she stole items, including a Celine bag, a Chanel purse and a ruby ring.

A first-year political science major is facing a lawsuit filed by her roommate, a Russian heiress. Allegedly, accused, 18-year-old Kaitlyn Fung, stole roughly $51,000 of her roommate Aurora Agapov’s pricey possessions. Agapov is the daughter of a Russian mining-magnate whose board of directors includes Vladimir Putin.

The Russian heiress reportedly said that her "heart dropped" when she allegedly found her roommate was stealing from her. (Unsplash/Arno Senoner)

What went down between Aurora Agapov and Kaitlyn Fung?

Things were cordial between the women until Agapov noticed that some of her things had gone missing, including items from luxury brands like Gucci, Chanel and Bvlgari, reported the New York Post. Soon, she became suspicious of Fung and found a receipt for the consignment retailer The Real Real in her pocketbook.

According to the outlet, Agapov’s “heart dropped” after the discovery, as they had been “quite good friends” before the incident.

The Cut reported that following Agapov’s lawsuit, Fung was arrested on the charges of third-degree grand-larceny. However, she was later released. The case against Fung is still pending.

Agapov, in addition to filing the lawsuit, also visited The Real Real’s Soho store and informed them about the items being stolen, reported the Cut. The store reportedly told her that Fung’s mother picked up the listed items from the store a few days ago. Following this, Agapov filed a complaint in the New York Supreme Court. She demanded Fungs return her things, besides $51,000 compensation in damages.

Items that were allegedly stolen:

What were the items that Fung allegedly stole from Agapov? As per the Cut, the list includes a $3,300 Celine tote, a $4,000 Chanel purse, and a $23,765 ruby ring, among other items. The items were reportedly sold at a fraction of their original price. For instance, a Chanel bracelet worth $2,000 was apparently sold for $175.

How did NYU respond?

According to the New York Post, the university didn’t divulge details about this particular incident and the investigation that was launched based on it. However, spokesman John Beckman, while talking about the matter of stealing from a roommate, said it is “a lousy thing to do, and a rarity among the 12,000 students we have in student housing.”

Addressing the matter, 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.”