A high-ranking member of KavKaz Nation was sentenced to eight years in prison last Wednesday.
Roman Nikoghosyan, 34, was a high-ranking member of KavKaz Nation or KavKaz, a violent, Brooklyn-based Eurasian organized crime syndicate.
KavKaz members operated primarily in the Manhattan Beach and Brighton Beach neighborhoods and drew on ties to the Caucasus region of Eurasia, which includes Armenia, Uzbekistan, parts of Southern Russia and Azerbaijan.
On June 21, Nikoghosyan was sentenced in Brooklyn Federal Court to eight years in prison for the extortion and the extortion conspiracy of two separate individuals and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Nikoghosyan was previously convicted of felony attempted robbery and pleaded guilty to possessing a Hi-Point 995 rifle that was found during the execution of a search warrant at a stash house in Brooklyn that was operated by the defendant.
“Nikoghosyan is a prolific extortionist who learned the consequences today of preying on the Eurasian community in Brooklyn,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York. “His prosecution serves as an example of the priority this office has placed on protecting vulnerable members of the district from lawless, violent individuals.”
According to court records, in February 2021, Nikoghosyan was operating a narcotics distribution scheme in which he employed the victim of one of his extortionate schemes to transport packages containing marijuana.
When the victim discovered the illicit content of the packages and refused to continue distributing the narcotics, Nikoghosyan, with the assistance of co-conspirators, demanded $10,000 in extortionate payments from the victim, threatening to stab him or break his legs if he did not comply.
In May 2021, Nikoghosyan extorted $5,000 from a second victim. The defendant advised an associate that he “spoke with that son of a b,” and that he warned the victim, “Do you not want to walk around Brooklyn anymore?”
The investigation outlines that Nikoghosyan had several discussions about assaulting victims with co-conspirators and threatening individuals with physical violence, including the use of weapons.
Additionally, in June 2021, Nikoghosyan engaged in multiple conversations related to the escape of a co-conspirator from a New York City Department of Corrections jail barge.
Nikoghosyan attempted to provide a vehicle for the co-conspirator to drive to California, along with approximately $2,000 for the co-conspirator to use while on the run.
The defendant was arrested in Los Angeles, California, in July 2021, and pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2022.
The government’s case is being handled by the office’s organized crime and gangs section. Assistant U.S. attorneys Matthew Galeotti and Dana Rehnquist are in charge of the prosecution.
