Tariel Oniani: The Rise and Resilience of a Prime Crime Kingpin

: In the 1990s, he moved to France, where he built connections with other high-ranking Eurasian mobsters.

: Oniani was frequently linked by underworld rumors and some investigators to the 2009 assassination of Yaponchik, though he has always denied involvement. 4. Conviction and Status on Prime Crime

Oniani’s "untouchable" status in Russia eventually crumbled. In 2010, he was sentenced to for the kidnapping of a Georgian businessman in Moscow.