Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office said four more people have been charged over an alleged scheme to fabricate asylum claims and documents for Georgian citizens seeking asylum in the United States, following a joint operation with the U.S. Embassy’s Regional Security Office (RSO).
The announcement came six weeks after a similar operation in which three people were arrested and six others were charged over an alleged scheme to fabricate asylum claims and produce forged documents for U.S. and Canadian visa applications.
The four newly charged individuals are accused of helping Georgian citizens illegally remain abroad, arranging the submission of false information to obtain asylum in the United States, and producing and distributing forged official documents, prosecutors said in a July 14 statement.
According to the statement, one suspect was detained on July 13, while two others were charged in absentia. They face up to six years in prison, while the fourth defendant faces up to seven years.
“For the purpose of obtaining financial gain, three citizens of Georgia formed a criminal group whose aim was to prepare false stories, so-called ‘cases,’ and corresponding false evidence necessary for Georgian citizens seeking asylum in the United States,” prosecutors said.
“Members of the criminal group convinced Georgian citizens that, with the help of documents they had prepared and the stories they had created, they would be able to obtain asylum in the United States without difficulty. The group members were fabricated stories about how Georgian citizens were persecuted in Georgia for various reasons, including their political positions, sexual orientation, persecution by law enforcement agencies, and other reasons,” the statement said, adding that they prepared forged documents to substantiate these stories.
During searches of the home and office of one of the group’s members, investigators seized mobile phones and computers containing forged documents prepared “in the names of nearly 500 citizens,” including fabricated asylum case files, forged official documents, and forged electronic seals of “various organizations,” the statement said.
According to prosecutors, between January 1, 2025 and June 2026, members of the criminal group obtained financial benefits amounting to GEL 675,794, USD 388,526, and EUR 4,964 from the scheme.
The statement further said criminal prosecution has also been initiated against one member of the group who “provided forged documents to members of the organized group already facing charges in this criminal case.” According to the statement, the suspect “fully admits guilt and cooperate with the investigation.”
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