Russian call girl ring and murder for hire scheme

From the Daily News:

A Queens man and a Ukrainian teen have been busted in connection with a Russian call-girl ring and a murder-for-hire scheme, the Daily News has learned.

Accused pimp Salah Youssef, 37, and assistant Victoriya Makogonyuk, 18, were arrested this week after a sting, said FBI spokesman Richard Kolko.

Youssef wanted revenge on a man who owed him money and consulted a friend - who turned out to be an FBI informant, court papers say.

He allegedly asked his buddy about planting drugs on the debtor and said he wanted the young daughter of a Russian pal to have sex with the man and claim rape. The discussion eventually turned to murder, with Youssef saying he was willing to pay $10,000 for a hit.

Youssef also told the informant he used to be "in the escort business" and talked to him about setting up a call girl ring.

As part of the operation, the FBI had an agent pose as a "Jersey guy" mobster and another pose as a call girl. Meetings were set up with Youssef and Makogonyuk near Katz's deli in Manhattan.

Authorities say Makogonyuk ran Youssef's call-girl operation, putting ads in Russian newspapers for escorts and answering phones at an Astoria apartment used for the illegal hookups.