Man ordered to pay back £873,852.48 following a tractor theft operation – Oxfordshire

A man has been sentenced for playing a leading role in a tractor theft operation in Oxfordshire.

Hristo Chenchev, aged 48, of Churchbury Road, London, has been sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, under Operation Jack Knife.

He was convicted at Oxford Crown Court on 22 March 2023 after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer and remove from England and Wales criminal property.

He was then subject of a Proceeds of Crime Act investigation and, on 24 December 2024, was ordered at Oxford Crown Court to pay a total of £873,852.48 over a three month period.

As part of Operation Jack Knife, Chenchev was found to be involved with a local Oxfordshire crime group who stole tractors from the Oxfordshire area and removed them from the UK.

He was arrested at the scene of the crime where officers from Thames Valley Police had been called to reports that persons were attempting to load stolen tractors onto the back of foreign lorries.

Between 1 April and 26 May 2020, the group arranged for the onward exportation and sale of those tractors to Bulgaria, in which Chenchev played the leading part and financially benefitted from these crimes.

Senior Financial Investigator Lucy Flynn, of the North Asset Recovery Team, said: “I am pleased that Chenchev has been ordered to pay back this substantial amount of money.

“The group which he conspired with, was responsible for the theft of a large number of high value tractors in the Oxfordshire area and local rural communities and their businesses suffered a loss due to the thefts”

“This case shows that if you involve yourself in this sort of criminality you can expect to not only be prosecuted, but also that you will have to pay back a significant amount of money.”

HA