Movers sue city after wrongful burglary arrest

Moving day ended in a jail cell for two Brooklyn men who were busted for “burglarizing” a building — when they were only trying to haul a new resident’s stuff inside, a lawsuit alleges.

Cops arrested Iouri Pakhomtzchik, a professional mover, and Sergey Menejyan, who was hanging out with the moving crew, on March 20, 2012, after a woman falsely claimed they tried to break into her apartment, according to the federal suit and Pakomtzchik’s attorney, David Zelman.

The woman told officers she had seen the moving man and his pal running away after burglarizing her home.

Cops didn’t find any of the woman’s belongings with the men. But she also claimed she was missing cash, and Menejyan had $590 on him, Zelman said.

The officers decided to haul both men away on charges of burglary, trespassing and criminal possession of stolen property, the suit says.

Both spent 12 hours in jail at the 60th Precinct station house before being transported for arraignment, the suit says.

Pakhomtzchik was released on his own recognizance, while Menejyan was hit with $2,000 bail and forced to spend eight additional hours at Rikers Island before getting sprung.

All charges against Pakhomtzchik were dropped after two quick court appearances. Menejyan, however, had to appear 10 times before his case was dismissed.

Zelman said the woman’s case crumbled after she failed to adequately identify the men she claimed to have seen running from her apartment.

Also, Zelman said Menejyan was able to prove in court that the money he was carrying was from his tax refund.

The two men sued the city, Officers James Riordan, Viktoriya Sadovskaya, Matthew Brennan and John Esprey and several other unidentified officers for false arrest and a other civil-rights violations in January.

Menejyan agreed to settle his case with the city for $7,500 last week, according to a court filing.

Pakhomtzchik refused to accept the same sum and is pursuing the case in hope of landing a higher payout, court papers show.

Neither man would comment on the case. The city Law Department declined to comment.