Razhden Shulaya, Racketeering, New York 2024

A notorious ‘thief-in-law’ has been convicted of racketeering and related charges in Manhattan federal court. Razhden Shulaya, 44, was found guilty of leading a sprawling and violent criminal enterprise that operated across the United States and abroad.

Shulaya, also known as ‘Brother’ or ‘Roma,’ was accused of engaging in a range of crimes including violence, extortion, theft, trafficking in stolen goods, and fraud. His enforcer, Avtandil Khurtsidze, 42, a former middleweight boxing champion, was also found guilty of racketeering charges.

The Shulaya Enterprise, as it was known, was an organized crime group that offered protection and assistance to its members and associates in exchange for tribute and loyalty. The group operated in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Nevada, and abroad, with members and associates born in the former Soviet Union and maintaining ties to Georgia, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation.

Shulaya and Khurtsidze were accused of using violence and intimidation to extort money from individuals and businesses, including a scheme to defraud casinos using a complicated algorithm to predict the behavior of electronic slot machines. They also allegedly trafficked in stolen goods, including luxury watches, and laundered money through a fraudulently established vodka import-export company.

The evidence against Shulaya and Khurtsidze was extensive, including video and audio recordings of their crimes. Shulaya was captured on video assaulting others in service of the Shulaya Enterprise, and Khurtsidze was recorded participating in acts of extortion and planning additional acts of violence.

Shulaya faces up to 20 years in prison for his conviction on one count of racketeering conspiracy. Khurtsidze also faces a lengthy prison sentence for his role in the scheme. The convictions are a significant blow to the Shulaya Enterprise and a major victory for law enforcement in the fight against organized crime.

Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, praised the work of law enforcement in bringing Shulaya and Khurtsidze to justice. ‘As a unanimous jury found, Razhden Shulaya and his chief enforcer, Avtandil Khurtsidze, engaged in an array of criminal schemes that included violence, extortion, theft, trafficking in stolen goods, and fraud,’ Berman said.

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