Russian national allegedly stole luxury yacht, led Florida police on massive boat chase years after being granted asylum in the US
A Russian national accused of jacking a massive luxury yacht and leading authorities in Florida on a boat chase where SWAT officers had to be deployed to secure the vessel was granted asylum in the US.Nikolai Vilkov, 29, was arrested on May 5 after the Martin County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies had to use smaller boats to pin the stolen 68-foot, two-million-dollar yacht against the shoreline in Jupiter Island, Sheriff John Budensiek said in a press conference.Budensiek said the “bizarre” ordeal started at around 1:07 a.m., when Vilkov is suspected of stealing a tow boat just hours before the chase.Investigators found the suspect at the Lucky Shuck restaurant in Jupiter, then wandering around by the boats docked in the marina near the bar around 2 a.m.Minutes later, Vilkov allegedly took control of a tow boat and headed north.His first boat-jacking ended when the vessel got stuck on a sandbar and he was forced to flee the scene and walk down US 1 Highway, Budensiek said.Investigators said they lost sight of Vilkov’s whereabouts from 3 a.m.
to 1 p.m.until he was spotted chatting with people at the Tiki 52 Bar & Grill near the Blowing Rocks Marina.Budensiek said witnesses told police they saw the suspect getting on and off the 68-foot yacht, but he was able to blend in like he belonged.The marina’s dockmaster reported the luxury vessel had been stolen at 3:55 p.m.Authorities deployed multiple boats that “locked on to” the vessel, but were at an “extreme tactical disadvantage.” “We’re talking about a three-story yacht, 68-foot, and our vessels with one or two marine officers were not suited to safely take those individuals into custody,” Budensiek said.Police had shut down the Hobe Sound bridge, a drawbridge on Indian River, in an attempt to end the chase, but were forced to open it for safety reasons when Vilkov got closer.However, about a quarter mile later, Vilkov appeared to have trouble maneuvering the yacht, giving the polic...