Indicted BTC-e Founder Alexander Vinnik Seeks to Gain Freedom via Prisoner Swap Deal
A potential swap deal for Vinnik is increasingly looking to have a high probability.
The BTC-E website, turned up to be never headed by Alexander Vinnik, has been seized by US criminal authorities keeping the funds away from it’s users.
A potential swap deal for Vinnik is increasingly looking to have a high probability.
The embattled former BTC-e operator has spent over 3 months in US custody and wants bail due to his trial delay.
In 2017, the Treasury Department placed a $110 million fine on BTC-e for violating US anti-money laundering laws and a $12 million fee against Vinnik.
On Monday, the French prosecutors announced a five-year-sentence for Russian national Alexander Vinnik for his alleged involvement in creating software to launder money. He faces multiple charges of helping cybercriminals and ransomware gangs.
According to Vinnik’s lawyer Zoe Konstantopoulou, Alexander is at the hospital in Paris and the French authorities will try to question him tonight.
The recent news reported that Greece has decided to transfer former BTC-e admin Alexander Vinnik to France. However, he is going to the U.S., according to the RIA news site and his lawyer.
The BBC Russian service allegedly links $450 million in missing Wex funds to the Russian FSB. It is said that the crypto assets may have been transferred to a fund belonging to the FSB.
On 25th July, FinCEN, an agency within the US treasury department, levied a fine on both Vinnik and BTC-e to the amount of $88,596,314 and $12,000,000, plus interest as provided by law for the involvement in certain monetary related criminal activities.
According to the lawyer of Alexander Vinnik, an alleged Bitcoin launderer, questioned by French investigators, the charges are ‘trumped up’.
The government of Greece has approved the extradition of Alexander Vinnik to Russia, where he is wanted on fraud charges amounting to around $10,000.