New York Post

THIS IS A CIG UP!

His butt lands his butt in jail

- By JOSH SAUL jsaul@nypost.com

Now this guy’s got another reason to quit smoking.

The Queens man is facing federal bank robbery charges, accused of stealing $ 30,000 in three Manhattan heists — and the most damning evidence against him may be a butt he flicked under a truck before one of the stickup jobs.

Leonid Kaziyev, 38, was caught on surveillan­ce footage tossing the butt right before he walked into the Bank of America on Broadway at West 63rd Street on May 21, handed the teller a note that said, “MONEY NOW,” and pulled a black handgun from his waistband, according to a criminal complaint.

“Just prior to the robbery, the driver of the vehicle — wearing clothing identical to that of the robber — is seen walking on Broadway, lighting and smoking a cigarette,” an FBI agent said in court papers.

“He then flicks the cigarette under a moving truck parked nearby, before he enters the bank.”

Investigat­ors at the scene collected the cigarette butt, which was DNA-tested and came back as a match for Kaziyev.

Kaziyev— who posted a photo of himself on Facebook smirking with a pack of Marlboros and a lit cigar— was arrested Monday night in Queens and arraigned in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday on armedrobbe­ry charges.

He ran out of court after posting a $ 500,000 bond and ignored a reporter’s question about whether he has quit smoking — but his father stayed behind to light up outside court.

Kaziyev, who got $ 10,100 in the Bank of America heist, also knocked over the same HSBC in the Flatiron District twice, first on Dec. 9, 2014, for $ 12,000 and again on June 5 for $ 10,400, according to thr court papers.

When Kaziyev first hit the HSBC, he wore sunglasses, a cap, and a scarf covering his mouth, pulled out a gun, and told the teller, “Give me the money. I want the second drawer and the third drawer — all the 20s that are in there,” according to the complaint.

Defense attorney Matthew Sullivan declined to comment.

Kaziyev faces up to life in prison if he is convicted on the bank-robbery and firearm charges.

Additional reporting by Ross Toback

 ??  ?? SMOKED OUT: A bank robber identified as Leonid Kaziyev flashes a gun in an UpperWest Side bank heist. He was linked to the crime by a DNA sample from a discarded cigarette, the FBI says.
SMOKED OUT: A bank robber identified as Leonid Kaziyev flashes a gun in an UpperWest Side bank heist. He was linked to the crime by a DNA sample from a discarded cigarette, the FBI says.

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