Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the sentences imposed on VAZHA GABADADZE, TEIMURAZ TAVBERIDZE, KAKHA KATSADZE, and DAVIT TIKARADZE for extortion offenses. The defendants include the leader of a criminal enterprise from the Republic of Georgia and his associates. The last of the defendants to be sentenced, TAVBERIDZE, was sentenced to 21 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff after having been convicted on December 9, 2024, following a one-week jury trial. The remaining three defendants were previously sentenced to terms of prison ranging from 12 to 30 months.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky said: “Vazha Gabadadze and his associates threatened to mutilate and kill a victim if he did not provide them with money. They intimidated the victim, relying on their connections to violent organized crime, to obtain thousands of dollars. But thanks to the dedication of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, all four defendants have been brought to justice and will serve federal prison time for their crimes.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
GABADADZE is a crowned “vor v zakone” and the leader of a criminal enterprise from the Republic of Georgia. A vor v zakone, which is a Russian phrase that translates to “thief-in-law” or “thief within the code,” is part of a fraternal order of criminals that dates back to the time of the czars. The vor stands at the highest level of Russian and Georgian organized criminal groups. Traditionally, vory demand and receive tribute from criminals and laypersons, license criminal activity by others, and resolve disputes between members of the criminal community. Payment demands are enforced by violence and threats of violence. TAVBERIDZE, KATSADZE, and TIKARADZE each worked under GABADADZE’s supervision and control.
In 2017, in Georgia, GABADADZE approached an individual (the “Victim”) and demanded $15,000, claiming that the Victim’s friend owed GABADADZE the money. The Victim subsequently moved to the U.S.
In 2022, GABADADZE followed the Victim to the U.S. and reinitiated the extortion. GABADADZE and the other defendants pursued, harassed, and threatened to kill and maim the Victim and his family if he did not pay. Those threats were particularly violent and included, among others, that one or more of the defendants would “break [the Victim’s] spine over his knee,” “peel out [the Victim’s] eyes,” that the Victim would be beaten beyond recognition to his family, and that the Victim’s dead body would be found “when the snow melts.”
Each of the defendants played a particular role in executing the extortion. GABADADZE was the leader of the scheme and ultimate beneficiary of the extortion payments. TAVBERIDZE was primarily responsible for pursuing and communicating with the Victim and, in that capacity, personally threatened the Victim and collected extortion funds from the Victim. KATSADZE managed the collection of the extortion payments, receiving such payments from TAVBERIDZE and passing them along to GABADADZE. TIKARADZE served as GABADADZE’s secretary and threatened the Victim on at least one occasion. In total, the defendants received approximately $19,000 during the course of the extortion.
GABADADZE and KATSADZE each pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act extortion. TIKARADZE pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion. TAVBERIDZE was convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion and one count of Hobbs Act extortion after trial. A chart containing the sentences that each of the defendants received is set forth below.
| Defendant | Age | Sentence of Imprisonment |
| Vazha Gabadadze | 42 | 30 Months |
| Teimuraz Tavberidze | 55 | 21 Months |
| Kakha Katsadze | 46 | 21 Months |
| Davit Tikaradze | 54 | 12 Months |
Mr. Podolsky praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Podolsky also thanked U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the New York City Police Department for their assistance in the investigation.
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