Man with alleged Russian mafia ties pleads guilty to fraud charges in Saskatoon court
A man with alleged ties to a Russian organized crime group pleaded guilty to several fraud charges in Saskatoon Provincial Court this week.
Georgian national Alexander Alexidze, 49, was arrested in May 2023 in an apartment in Saskatoon’s Fairhaven neighbourhood. Saskatoon police said officers seized multiple false and forged documents in a search of the apartment executed after his arrest.
On Tuesday, Alexidze entered a guilty plea in provincial court.
His defence lawyer Gregory Curtis says he pleaded guilty to theft of groceries, possession of another person’s identity documents, possession of stolen credit cards, possession of a vehicle knowing it was obtained by the commission of a criminal offence, and possession of a citizenship card for a fraudulent purpose.
Alexidze also pleaded guilty to defrauding Saskatchewan Social Services and Health in an amount exceeding $5,000.
His sentencing is scheduled for April 1.
Alexidze has faced similar charges in the past.
In 2015, he was arrested in Cleveland and convicted of visa fraud. He served nine months in prison before being deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to face multiple identity theft and fraud charges in Alberta, Manitoba, and Ontario, according to an ICE news release.
ICE described Alexidze as a “documented Russian mafia associate” who was deported to Canada to face charges for crimes allegedly committed between 2013 and 2015, some under the alias Alex Row.
"ICE confirmed his true identity with Canadian authorities using photos and biometric data," the agency said.
Curtis said he couldn’t comment on whether there were outstanding charges in other jurisdictions as he didn’t have “firsthand confirmation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.