Stamford Resident Admits to Operating Extensive Immigration Fraud Scheme

Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DAVID NIKOLASHVILI, 52, a citizen of the Republic of Georgia residing in Stamford, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to engaging in an immigration fraud scheme.

According to court documents and statements made in court, NIKOLASHVILI operated an immigration fraud scheme through which he obtained false immigration status from U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services for approximately 50 to 60 citizens of European countries. As part of the scheme, after aliens paid NIKOLASHVILI between $12,000 and $16,000, he would arrange sham marriages between the aliens and U.S. citizens in order to obtain immigration benefits for the aliens. The U.S. citizens were paid to enter into the sham marriages.

NIKOLASHVILI pleaded guilty to one count of making a false swearing in an immigration matter, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on October 27, 2017.

NIKOLASHVILI was arrested on June 21, 2016. He is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.

This investigation has been conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Office of Fraud Detection and National Security Unit, and U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas P. Morabito.