Four Convicted in Extortion Case Linked to Republic of Georgia
Four individuals, including an alleged leader of a Georgian organized crime group, have been convicted and sentenced for their roles in an extortion scheme, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The final defendant, Teimuraz Tavberidze, was sentenced on Thursday to 21 months in prison after being convicted in December 2024. The other three defendants, Vazha Gabadadze, Kakha Katsadze, and Davit Tikaradze, had previously received prison terms ranging from 12 to 30 months.
Court documents indicate that the scheme began in 2017 in the Republic of Georgia, when Gabadadze allegedly demanded $15,000 from an individual, identified in legal filings as “the Victim.” The demand was reportedly based on a claim that a friend of the Victim owed the money.
After the Victim moved to the United States, Gabadadze and his associates allegedly pursued him, resuming threats and demands in 2022. Prosecutors stated that the defendants repeatedly harassed the Victim and made violent threats, including claims that they would cause physical harm and that the Victim’s body would be found “when the snow melts.”
According to authorities, Gabadadze was the leader of the operation, while Tavberidze directly pursued the Victim and collected payments. Katsadze managed the distribution of the money, and Tikaradze was said to have played a supporting role, including issuing threats. In total, the group allegedly obtained $19,000 from the Victim.
The four defendants were sentenced as follows:
Defendant Age Sentence Vazha Gabadadze 42 30 months Teimuraz Tavberidze 55 21 months Kakha Katsadze 46 21 months Davit Tikaradze 54 12 months
Gabadadze and Katsadze pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act extortion, while Tikaradze admitted to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion. Tavberidze was convicted at trial of both conspiracy and extortion charges.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s General Crimes Unit handled the prosecution, led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Getzel Berger, Varun Gumaste, Chelsea Scism, and Daniel Richenthal.
Authorities emphasized the role of law enforcement in disrupting the extortion scheme. Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky credited the FBI’s efforts in bringing the case to a resolution.
Prosecutors identified Gabadadze as a member of a “vor v zakone”, a term describing a hierarchy within Russian and Georgian organized crime groups. These groups have historically been involved in enforcing criminal activity through intimidation and violence, prosecutors said.
The convictions mark the conclusion of a years-long investigation into the group’s activities in the United States.