Gia Sverdlovsky Faces Trial for Thief in Law Status
In Yekaterinburg, the investigation into Georgy Akoev, known as Gia Sverdlovsky, has been completed. He is accused of holding the highest position in the criminal hierarchy.
Jul 29, 2026 0
Gia Sverdlovsky denies any ties to the criminal underworld during court proceedings.
Source:
The investigation into the criminal case of Georgy Akoev, better known as Gia Sverdlovsky, has been completed. He has been charged under Article 210.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — holding the highest position in the criminal hierarchy. Investigators believe Akoev received the status of a «thief in law» in November 2008.
Georgy Akoev did not acknowledge himself as a «thief in law» in court.
The prosecutor«s office described the defendant»s activities: «Possessing authority among individuals in the criminal hierarchy, the defendant resolves disputed issues among those adhering to criminal ideology, makes decisions on the appointment, promotion, and demotion of criminal statuses, organizes, distributes, and controls the mutual aid fund within the criminal community — the criminal cash pool («obshchak»), directs and coordinates its timely replenishment, and also seeks out new legal and illegal sources of income to replenish it.»
The criminal case has been transferred to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court.
Gia himself denied involvement in the criminal underworld in court: «Your Honor, I ask you to take into account that I have been free for eight years and have not taken any actions since 2017. I never had any idea about any of this. And, honestly, I have no idea what I am being charged with. I did not create any criminal organizations. I ask to be kept under house arrest; I lived openly and did not hide anywhere. Moreover, I intend to achieve my acquittal because I did not commit anything of the sort. There are no specific crimes attributed to me. All that exists are unsubstantiated claims from some past recordings.»
The crime boss is currently under arrest.
Police reported that the investigation was conducted over eight months by investigator Ivan Filkin, a lieutenant colonel of justice from the GSU (Main Investigative Directorate) of the Regional Main Directorate. Operational support was provided by detectives from the OBOP (Organized Crime Prevention Bureau) of the UUR (Criminal Investigation Department) of the GU MVD (Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) of the region, together with colleagues from the FSB (Federal Security Service), and force support was provided by SOBR (Special Rapid Response Unit) fighters of the Russian National Guard. During a search of the defendant«s residence and office, items of criminal subculture were seized, as well as $41,000. The collected materials fill six volumes.
Akoev was considered one of the most influential figures in the Urals criminal world. He spent many years in prison colonies and was released in 2017. Gia«s father, businessman Shalva Akoev, was the nephew of the Yezidi crime boss Ded Khasan (Aslan Usoyan), making Georgy Usoyan»s grandnephew.
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