Newly-obtained Kirkland police records reveal that alleged human trafficking ringleader Nikita Tyukalo faced a separate investigation into similar claims more than a year before he was arrested by Bellevue police. No arrests were made in the first investigation.
According to Bellevue police, Tyukalo was arrested during a SWAT raid in June after neighbors complained about wild parties he threw at a rented mansion.
King County Prosecutors allege the parties were a means of recruiting young women to produce online sex content. They further allege he held the young women at the home against their will, withheld their pay and kept them in line with threats of physical violence.
In their filings, prosecutors requested a bail of $5 million, citing his history of witness tampering in Kirkland.
KIRO 7 filed a public records request with the Kirkland Police Department to find out more about the alleged tampering shortly after Tyukalo was charged. This week, we received several police reports. They outline an investigation into allegations similar to the ones that landed him behind bars.
The KPD investigation began in March 2025, when three people walked into KPD headquarters and told police they were “involved in extortion and trafficking” related to Tyukalo.
They claimed Tyukalo sent a large man to their homes demanding money after a falling out. One also reported he was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
They reported numerous instances of Tyukalo being violent against a young woman he had working for him, including one that left her bloodied and crying.
Kirkland police said investigators got in contact with the parents of some of his alleged victims, who expressed concerns about their daughters’ wellbeing.
The young women reportedly told police their parents’ concerns were unfounded, stating that their parents were harassing them and they were interested in a restraining order.
In a bizarre turn, a Kirkland police officer came forward during the investigation and reported that during a past traffic stop, Tyukalo had offered to hire him and bragged about owning a McLaren.
Investigators reported they later had trouble contacting the witnesses who came forward, with one officer eventually writing, “Case closed due to the lack of victim cooperation.”
KIRO 7 reached out to Kirkland police for more information on why the investigation did not end in any charges or arrests and has not yet heard back.
Tyukalo remains in jail with bail set at $5 million.
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