Nordstrom Employee And His Ex-Wife Stole From Minnetonka Store: Police

MINNETONKA, MN — Police said a man who worked at the Minnetonka Nordstrom store and his ex-wife schemed together in order to steal items from the store and sell them for cash.

Denis V. Palamarchuk, 48, of Minnetonka, and Tanya V. Alysheva, of Plymouth, each face one count of felony theft. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

On May 4, Minnetonka officers responded to a report of employee theft at the Nordstrom store in town. The suspected employee was identified as Palamarchuk, according to the criminal complaint.

The Nordstrom asset protection team had surveillance footage that showed Palamarchuk stashing high-end store merchandise and then leaving with it in his car, the criminal complaint states.

Palamarchuk admitted to police that he stole about 20 items and was in the process of selling them, investigators said.

Officers executed a search warrant at the apartment where Palamarchuk was staying and found two high-end coats, according to the criminal complaint. Police also executed a search warrant on his vehicle and found an eBay shipping receipt for Gucci boots, investigators said.

The receipt listed a different address in Plymouth where Alysheva lived, according to police.

At Alysheva's address, officers found an estimated $500,000 worth of items stolen from Nordstrom and over $46,000 in cash, investigators said.

Alysheva told officers she was helping Palamarchuk sell the stolen items, according to the criminal complaint.