Prosecutor's Office Hands Over Individual Wanted under Red Notice to U.S.
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, November 6, 2023
As per the information from the Prosecutor's Office, employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Batumi arrested an American citizen who was subject to a red notice. According to the agency, the individual has already been extradited to the USA.
The Prosecutor's Office stated that the defendant was wanted by US law enforcement agencies for crimes of a transnational nature, particularly involving large-scale fraud and money laundering. It was revealed at the briefing that the detainee was the head of a large-scale criminal organization he established. Within this organized group, he created at least 20 fraudulent online investment platforms and ensured their operation, fraudulently obtaining $70 million worth of cryptocurrency and leading fraudulent schemes associated with digital assets.
"The defendant was wanted by US law enforcement agencies for crimes of a transnational nature, particularly large-scale fraud and money laundering. It is worth noting that he was the head of a large-scale criminal organization created by him, and within the framework of the organized group, he created at least 20 fraudulent online investment platforms and ensured their operation. Using fraudulent online investment platforms, more than $70 million was defrauded from hundreds of victims around the world over a 6-year period.
The staff of the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested the wanted person in Batumi for the purpose of extradition to the USA. This action was based on the international manhunt announced for him through Interpol channels and the joint declaration signed between Georgia and the USA regarding the extradition of the specified person," the General Prosecutor's Office said.
