MARTIN COUNTY, FL — In an incident authorities described as “bizarre,” a 29-year-old Russian national was arrested Monday after stealing a 68-foot luxury yacht from a marina and leading law enforcement on a high-speed marine pursuit along Florida’s coast.
The suspect, Nikolai Vilkov, was taken into custody after deputies pushed the stolen yacht into the mangroves near the Hobe Sound Bridge, ending an hour-and-a-half-long chase involving the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Jupiter Island Police, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Sequence of Thefts and Pursuit
According to Sheriff John Budensiek, the ordeal began hours earlier, around 1 a.m. Monday, when Vilkov abandoned his Tesla at a restaurant valet in Jupiter and was later seen on surveillance attempting to steal smaller boats. By 2 a.m., he had stolen a TowBoat US vessel, which he later abandoned after grounding it on a sandbar.
Vilkov then wandered the area until about 3 a.m., when he was questioned by Jupiter police — who at the time were unaware he was connected to the stolen towboat. From 3 a.m. to 1 p.m., Vilkov’s whereabouts are unclear, though he later claimed to have slept aboard an unknown vessel.
At Blowing Rocks Marina that afternoon, Vilkov was seen preparing the $1 million yacht for launch — a complex process typically requiring experience. Witnesses reported he attempted to blend in with guests at the Tiki 52 restaurant nearby. The dockmaster alerted police at 3:55 p.m. once the yacht was confirmed stolen.
Charges and Background
The yacht sustained extensive damage during the grounding and takedown. Vilkov is facing multiple felony charges, including:
Grand theft of a motor vehicle
Aggravated fleeing and eluding
Resisting arrest without violence
Additional charges from the TowBoat US theft
Vilkov also has an ICE detainer and no prior arrests in the U.S., officials said. He previously entered the country with his wife and child in December 2022 via the Mexico-Texas border after flying from Turkey to Mexico. His family returned to Russia on April 30, shortly before the yacht theft occurred.
Sheriff Budensiek confirmed that federal agencies including the FBI and Homeland Security are now involved. “The next time he steals a vessel, it’ll be back in Russia, not here in the United States,” the sheriff said.
Vilkov is being held without bond in the Martin County Jail.
