2 years ago
The Tuesday apprehension of a joined mates accused for laundering proceeds from the 2016 hack of Bitfinex continues to fascinate good beyond the crypto community.
Netflix has already ordered a docu-series to beryllium made astir the communicative of Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and his woman Heather Morgan – besides known by her rap moniker “Razzlekhan” – who person been accused of laundering bitcoin worthy $4.5 cardinal dollars. American filmmaker Chris Smith (of "Tiger King" fame) has been tapped to nonstop the project.
A New York magistrate justice ordered Lichtenstein and Morgan released connected enslaved Tuesday evening, but this was struck down hours aboriginal by a District Court justice who revoked bail, citing the couple’s means and motive to fly the United States. Documents filed yesterday added caller grounds to the government’s formation hazard case, suggesting the 2 had begun preparations for beingness successful Russia oregon Ukraine.
Liechtenstein is simply a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, and renewed his Russian passport successful 2019, accidental prosecutors. The 2 besides traveled to Ukraine successful 2019 for a month-long travel together. While the defence says it was conscionable a vacation, prosecutors contend the 2 were preparing contingency plans for a beingness abroad.
While the mates was successful Ukraine, accidental prosecutors, Lichtenstein allegedly created and updated assorted files successful his online accounts that contained accusation astir wealth laundering and “false recognition documentation with Ukrainian connections.”
Prosecutors accidental Lichsteinstein had a folder called “personas” successful 1 of his unreality accounts that contained respective subfolders of some Russian and Ukrainian biographical accusation and recognition documents for some men and women, which the authorities said was purchased connected a darknet marketplace.
Prosecutors besides enactment that Lichtenstein ordered respective packages from darknet vendors to beryllium delivered to a edifice adjacent the 1 wherever the mates was staying successful Kiev. In addition, they say, the 2 acceptable up Ukrainian telephone numbers and different “financial accounts.”
DISCLOSURE
The person successful quality and accusation connected cryptocurrency, integer assets and the aboriginal of money, CoinDesk is simply a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict acceptable of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an autarkic operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests successful cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As portion of their compensation, definite CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, whitethorn person vulnerability to DCG equity successful the signifier of stock appreciation rights, which vest implicit a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to acquisition banal outright successful DCG.
Cheyenne Ligon is simply a CoinDesk quality newsman with a absorption connected crypto regularisation and policy. She has nary important crypto holdings.
Subscribe to The Node, our regular study connected apical quality and ideas successful crypto.
By signing up, you volition person emails astir CoinDesk merchandise updates, events and selling and you hold to our terms of services and privacy policy.
English (US) 