Reigning WBO Middleweight Champion Billy Joe Saunders' next title fight has just been flushed down the toilet. His opponent, Georgia's Avtandil Khurtsidze, known as Mini Mike Tyson, has been arrested in New York, and as such, won't be able to leave the USA for the bout in London next month. He is one of a large number of defendants charged under the Rico Act, a Federal Racketeering Law.
A statement released by the Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H. Kim said. “Today, we have charged 33 members and associates of a Russian organized crime syndicate allegedly engaging a panoply of crimes around the country. The indictments include charges against the alleged head of this national criminal enterprise, one of the first federal racketeering charges ever brought against a Russian ‘vor.’ The dizzying array of criminal schemes committed by this organized crime syndicate allegedly include a murder-for-hire conspiracy, a plot to rob victims by seducing and drugging them with chloroform, the theft of cargo shipments containing over 10,000 pounds of chocolate, and a fraud on casino slot machines using electronic hacking devices."
In the Russian Mafia, "Vor" is an honorary title denoting a made man. The honor of becoming a Vor is only given when the recruit shows considerable leadership skills, personal ability, intellect and charisma.
Khurtsidze himself is charged with RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, 3 years supervised release, $250,000 fine, or twice gross pecuniary gain/loss.