“Hollywood Thriller” Zurab Janashvili ends with “landing”

In new York, one of the Georgian “thieves in law” pleaded guilty

Zurab Janashvili is one of the “thieves in law”, who led the force across America criminal gang – pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit crimes associated with racketeering. Janashvili was part of the leadership of the crime syndicate, established by immigrants from Georgia, Russia and Ukraine, and eliminated Federal authorities in the US about a year ago, when they were arrested about 30 people. According to investigators, they were part of several organized criminal groups in new York (mostly Brighton beach), and the States of Florida, new Jersey, Pennsylvania and Nevada (specifically Las Vegas) and abroad.

The members of the syndicate are charged with extortion, fraud, kidnapping, “knocking out” debts, robberies, contract killings, drug trafficking and arms trade.

37-year-old Janashvili, living in Brooklyn, admitted his role in a criminal syndicate, at the head of which stood the Razhdenes Sula.

40-year-old Shula known as “Brother”, “Roma” and “Razhdenes St. Petersburg”. Previously, he was detained in Europe in the summer of 2013 as a result of the operation which Europol held on the territory of several countries: Italy, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Portugal, France and Hungary. Then was immediately arrested 18 criminal leaders from the former Soviet Union, including 13 of “thieves in law” of the influential in the post-Soviet space of the Kutaisi criminal group, headed by Merab Jangveladze (Merab Sukhumi). Shula was a member of his inner circle. However, after the operation of Europol was quickly released.

Janashvili, known as “Zura” in the documents of the investigation called right hand “Brother.”

“Today Zurab Janashvili admitted his leadership role in a criminal organization. His adventures could be the basis of a Hollywood blockbuster, said the Federal attorney for the southern district of new York Joffrey Berman. This criminal group had paid bribes to law enforcement officers, used a woman to seduce their victims and the subsequent extortion and stole 4.5 tons of chocolate. However, the script ended with that Janashvili has pleaded guilty and now he will have to serve substantial time in prison”.

According to prosecutors, the group under the leadership CHULA Janashvili and participated in the following crimes: the organization of a criminal community, extortion and “protection racket” underground gambling houses in the area of Brighton beach; the extortion of money from the debtors; the abduction of the owners of local businesses in Brighton beach; the organisation of a night club in which illegal drugs had been distributed; robbery (women of the crime syndicate portrayed prostitutes “shot” clients who then chloroformed them or other substances and robbed); theft of goods; casino fraud (criminals hacked slot machines in Atlantic city casinos and Philadelphia with hacking devices that allowed them to obtain illegal gains); drug trafficking; smuggling of cigarettes; the trade in counterfeit products (forgeries); the production of false passports, checks and financial documents; bribery of law enforcement officials.

On the totality of the crimes committed Janashvili could face 20 years in prison. He will be sentenced by judge Katherine Forrest in new York on November 30.

Razhdenes Shula along with another alleged member of the crime syndicate, a former world Boxing champion in the Middleweight Avtandil Khurtsidze, must be brought before a court in new York on 4 June. The trial of Sula promises to be one of the rare occasions when the “thieves in law” from the former Soviet Union are subject to criminal prosecution in the United States. The accused faces 65 years in prison.