2 years ago
Russian IT specializer Alexander Vinnik, accused of owning and moving the infamous crypto speech BTC-e, has been handed implicit to the U.S. This week, Greek authorities proceeded with the extradition, aft his instrumentality from France, contempt Vinnik’s defence protesting the determination and calling the lawsuit a “judicial, diplomatic and humanitarian scandal.”
Vinnik Appears successful San Francisco Federal Court to Face Money Laundering Charges
The presumed co-founder and relation of the notorious crypto speech BTC-e, Alexander Vinnik, was extradited from Greece to the United States connected Thursday. The Russian nationalist is facing charges successful the Northern District of California and has already appeared successful national tribunal successful San Francisco, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the department’s Criminal Division, was quoted arsenic stating:
After much than 5 years of litigation, Russian nationalist Alexander Vinnik was extradited to the United States yesterday to beryllium held accountable for operating BTC-e, a transgression cryptocurrency exchange, which laundered much than $4 cardinal of transgression proceeds.
The 42-year-old Vinnik was arrested portion connected abrogation successful the Greek metropolis of Thessaloniki successful the summertime of 2017 connected a U.S. warrant. He had been charged by American prosecutors successful a 21-count superseding indictment successful January of that year. Greece approved an extradition petition filed by the United States but sent him archetypal to France successful December 2019, nether a European apprehension warrant.
A French tribunal sentenced the Russian crypto entrepreneur to 5 years successful situation for wealth laundering, and helium precocious served his term, taking into relationship his pre-trial detention. In France, helium was besides charged with individuality theft and extortion. In July, U.S. authorities withdrew a petition to get the Russian straight from France successful an evident effort to velocity up his transportation done Greece, which had already approved his extradition to the United States.
According to the U.S. indictment, the now-defunct BTC-e was a “significant cybercrime and online wealth laundering entity that allowed its users to commercialized successful bitcoin with precocious levels of anonymity and developed a lawsuit basal heavy reliant connected transgression activity.” It alleges the speech facilitated planetary cybercrime transactions, receiving proceeds from a wide scope of crimes, specified arsenic the Mt Gox hack, ransomware scams, and adjacent cause trade.
BTC-e and Vinnik were charged with 1 number of cognition of an unlicensed wealth work concern successful the U.S., and 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering arsenic well. The Russian is besides facing 17 counts of wealth laundering and 2 counts of engaging successful unlawful monetary transactions. The Justice Department noted his level had nary strategy for know-your-customer verification and nary anti-money laundering programme arsenic required by national law.
Russia, Lawyer Brand Vinnik’s US Extradition ‘Abduction’ and ‘Violent Disappearance’
Speaking to the Russian quality bureau Tass, Vinnik’s French lawyer Frederic Belot confirmed his suspect had been handed implicit to US custody, upon his instrumentality from France nether the determination by the Investigation Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeals from Thursday morning. “He was instantly transferred to different level that flew to the United States. The level landed successful Boston and past flew to San Francisco,” Belot explained.
“Alexander Vinnik, who should beryllium escaped based connected 3 decisions by the French justice, was transferred yesterday arsenic a captive to Greece and determination helium was virtually ‘loaded’ connected a backstage level to the USA, without being allowed, arsenic helium requested and portion seeking asylum, to person entree to an interpreter, to maine arsenic his lawyer,” Zoe Konstantopoulou, who has been representing him successful Greece and France, said quoted by the Greek paper Ethnos.
Konstantopoulou precocious shared her fears that the Russian volition beryllium held by the U.S. arsenic a “hostage” of the ongoing subject struggle successful NATO-supported Ukraine, wherever Moscow is waging a full-scale warfare since precocious February, presented arsenic a “special subject operation” successful defence of the Russian-speaking population. Western governments person chosen to disregard Russia’s ain requests for Vinnik’s extradition.
The IT expert, who has denied the U.S. allegations and maintained his innocence, has antecedently expressed his volition to instrumentality to his homeland and look earlier tribunal there. In Russia helium is charged with embezzlement of much than 600,000 rubles (close to $10,000) and “fraud successful the tract of machine information” for 750 cardinal rubles ($12.3 million).
While the U.S. Justice Department thanked the Greek authorities and justness ministry “for each their efforts successful securing the defendant’s transportation to the United States,” the spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow is “outraged by the unfriendly actions of the Greek authorities” and accused Washington of conducting a “real hunt for Russian citizens,” calling Vinnik’s hasty extradition an “abduction.” While not mentioned successful the DOJ announcement, the proprietor of BTC-e is suspected of having collaborated with Russian intelligence, too.
In her comments, Zoe Konstantopoulou described the lawsuit arsenic a multi-year “judicial, diplomatic, intergovernmental scandal,” portion referring to his extradition arsenic a “violent disappearance from Greek territory” which “constitutes a Mafia method and a transgression act… a superior usurpation of planetary instrumentality and Greek legislation,” committed with the information of 2 overseas states. Vinnik sought asylum successful Greece and his defence squad has been trying to besides unafraid a merchandise connected humanitarian grounds. His woman died successful 2020 and their 2 sons are present increasing up without parents.
What are your expectations astir Alexander Vinnik’s proceedings successful the United States? Tell america successful the comments conception below.
English (US) 