For his involvement in a money laundering scheme connected to the theft of over 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a significant international cryptocurrency exchange, 35-year-old Ilya Lichtenstein of New York City received a sentence of 60 months in federal prison. This information is taken straight from a statement made by federal officials, including District of Columbia U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves.
Using advanced hacking tools, Lichtenstein unlawfully gained access to Bitfinex’s network in 2016 and fraudulently transferred 119,754 bitcoin to his own wallet, according to court documents made public by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. In terms of conspiracy, Lichtenstein was not acting alone because, with his wife Heather Morgan’s assistance, he later tried to launder the stolen money in a lewd manner. Chain hopping, mixing services, and even turning a portion of the crypto-hoard into gold coins were among the many alleged money laundering techniques they used.
The sentencing came after Lichtenstein entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering on August 3, 2023. He has been sentenced to three years of supervised release in addition to his jail time. His wife, Heather Morgan, who is accused of being a co-conspirator, will be sentenced on Monday. Several agencies, including the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, the IRS-CI Cyber Crimes Unit, and the Homeland Security Investigations New York Field Office, were involved in the endeavor to apprehend these perpetrators.
Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Brown, conducted the prosecution. According to the release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Justice Department’s website provides additional information for third-party claimants who want to file claims for any property that has been seized and forfeited.
Note: Thank you for visiting our website! We strive to keep you informed with the latest updates based on expected timelines, although please note that we are not affiliated with any official bodies. Our team is committed to ensuring accuracy and transparency in our reporting, verifying all information before publication. We aim to bring you reliable news, and if you have any questions or concerns about our content, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!
Leave a Reply