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Alexander Vinnik
Russian computer expert and convicted felon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Alexander Vinnik (Russian: Александр Винник) is a Russian entrepreneur, the co-founder of BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange.
He pleaded guilty for money laundering in the USA but returned to Russia as a part of an exchange for Marc Fogel (sentenced in Russia to 14 years in prison for attempting to enter the country with medical cannabis).[4][5]
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BTC-e
Vinnik is alleged to have directed and supervised the operations and finances of the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange from 2011 to 2017.[6]
In 2020, the London-based cryptocurrency analysis firm Elliptic claimed that BTC-e may have been used by Fancy Bear during the 2015–2016 Democratic National Committee cyber attacks.[7]
BTC-e assets were ultimately acquired by Konstantin Malofeev under the control of the FSB.[8]
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Arrest, sentencing, extradition, detention, release
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On July 25, 2017, Vinnik was arrested in Ouranoupoli, Greece[9] at the request of the U.S. on suspicion of laundering $4 billion through the digital currency bitcoin (BTC-e).[10] At the time, Vinnik denied the charges.[11] In late July 2017, U.S. officials requested Vinnik's extradition from Greece.[12] In early October 2017, his extradition was requested by the Prosecutor General of Russia.[13]
In late June 2018, France requested his extradition, accusing him of fraud.[14] In early July 2018, Russia submitted a new extradition request, reportedly based on a confession to additional hacking offenses.[15] In November 2018, Vinnik went on a three-month hunger strike in protest of his detainment in Greece.[16] In January 2020, Vinnik was extradited to France.[17]
In June 2020, New Zealand Police announced the seizure of $90 million from WME Capital Management, a company in New Zealand registered to Vinnik.[18][19] In December 2020, Vinnik was acquitted on involvement with the Locky ransomware charges, but was sentenced to five years in prison for money laundering.[20]
On August 4, 2022, Vinnik was extradited from Greece to the United States to face charges of money laundering and operation of an unlicensed money service business in the US.[21] On August 5, 2022, the United States Justice Department released a statement saying Vinnik's first appearance for the 21-count superseding indictment from January 2017 had been that morning at a federal court in California.[22] In May 2024, Vinnik pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering.[23] Vinnik's lawyer, Arkady Bukh, stated that he pled guilty "on a restricted number of charges," and that as a result of the plea bargain Bukh now expected Vinnik to get a prison term of less than 10 years.[4]
On February 12, 2025, the U.S. Government announced it was releasing Vinnik as part of an exchange with Russia for the imprisoned American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.[24] Vinnik arrived in Russia the next day aboard a US Air Force special flight via Poland.[25]
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References
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