The couple charged with laundering $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency and conspiracy to defraud the United States through a 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex have reached a plea deal, according to court documents Friday morning.
As part of the plea deal, the couple have agreed to forfeit proceeds from the almost 120,000 Bitcoin they stand accused of laundering. Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan, both of whom were arrested early last year, are set to appear before a judge on August 3rd, and could face up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. prosecutors said that the culprits employed “numerous sophisticated laundering techniques,” allegedly using false identities, automating transactions, and then depositing the funds on a variety of exchanges and darknet markets–a process known as “layering.”
Upon arrest in February 2022, the Department of Justice (DOJ) seized $3.6 billion, considered the department’s “largest financial seizure ever,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. But many questions about how the hack and subsequent seizure of funds happened were left unanswered.
According to court documents, both parties allegedly conspired to launder 119,754 Bitcoins, all stolen from the Bitfinex platform when it was hacked in 2016. Recently, the company recovered a small amount of the Bitcoin Cash that was stolen in the notorious hack.
Source: Decrypt.co
The post Bitfinex Hackers Agree to Forfeit Billions in Bitcoin in Plea Deal appeared first on Crypto Breaking News.
Read more: https://www.cryptobreaking.com/bitfinex-hackers-agree-to-forfeit-billions-in-bitcoin-in-plea-deal/
Text source: Crypto Breaking News
Join BINANCE!
The world's largest crypto exchange
Welcome at World Crypto Global. This portal is packed with useful content and resources to built out your own crypto skills. WCG is a site member of ITeGAMAX's online services.
The information provided by World Crypto Global on this Site is for general informational purposes only. All information on this Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of any information on this Site.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHALL WE HAVE ANY LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON THE SITE. YOUR USE OF THE SITE AND YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
Use of this site is subject to our Terms and Conditions, Disclaimer, and Privacy Policy.
WE AND OUR PARTNERS USE COOKIES ON THIS SITE TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICE, PERFORM ANALYTICS, PERSONALIZE ADVERTISING, MEASURE ADVERTISING PERFORMANCE, AND REMEMBER WEBSITE PREFERENCES.
By using this website, you automatically accept that we use cookies.
To learn more about use of cookies see our Privacy Policy. Learn More.
