The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has charged one foreign national and four Georgian citizens with large-scale fraud and attempted fraud committed by a group with prior agreement.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, within the framework of the investigation ongoing at the State Security Service, it was established that one of the defendants promised the victim foreign national that he would help him obtain a residence permit, in return for which he fraudulently extorted 14,500 USD.

The investigation also revealed that the defendants had allegedly promised the victim that they would help him create a legal basis for his stay in Georgia and cross the Georgian-Armenian state border and return, in return for which they demanded 5,000 USD, with 3,000 USD taken in advance.

“The detainees were charged under Article 180, Part 3, Subparagraph “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (large-scale fraud) and Article 19.180, Part 2, Subparagraphs “a” and “b” of the Criminal Code of Georgia (attempted large-scale fraud by a group by prior agreement).

The type and extent of the aforementioned punishment provides for up to 9 years of imprisonment.

The Prosecutor's Office will file a petition with the court requesting detention for the defendants as a preventive measure within the time limit established by law," the Prosecutor's Office notes.