The United States has agreed to release Soviet regional Alexander Vinnik, who was accused of big cybercrime activities, in return for British resident Marc Fogel, according to a US official’s speech on Wednesday.
Fogel, who had been imprisoned since August 2021 by Russia, returned to American land on Tuesday.
The change of Fogel was described as a” show of good faith” from Moscow and a signal that relations between the US and Russia were moving in a way that might usher in the start of negotiations over the conflict in Ukraine.
Who is Alexander Vinnik?
Vinnik was the controller of BTC-e, a notable cryptocurrency exchange platform. Following US officials ‘ requests, his arrest took place in a north Greek coastal town in 2017 amid allegations of laundering$ 4 billion through his exchange program.
Vinnik and the Mt. Gox tragedy, a Chinese cryptocurrency exchange that ceased activities in 2014 after a security breach. According to the Justice Department, Vinnik purchased money from the Mount. Gox violation and processed them through BTC-e and his San Francisco-based software, Tradehill, Reuters reported.
Vinnik admitted grief to conspiracy charges in May 2024 after being extradited to France and then to the United States. He faced a possible 20-year word, with his imprisonment postponed to June from January by a national court’s purchase.
The US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of California, reported that BTC-e handled deals for over$ 9 billion between 2011 and 2017, serving more than a million people worldwide, including many from the United States.
“BTC-e was one of the main ways by which digital criminals around the world transferred, laundered, and stored the fugitive proceeds of their improper activities”, as stated by the prosecutor’s office last year, noting the platform’s involvement with several unlawful activities.
Although Vinnik’s event was the subject of a status conference, according to court documents, US District Judge Susan Illston’s details are unknown.
Russian journalist Andrei Zakharov, publisher of a book about Vinnik, noted that the accused reportedly controlled 80, 000 bitcoin taken from Mt. Gox in 2011, explaining Russia’s strong interest in his return.
“80 thousand cryptocurrencies. 8 billion bucks. 2 % of federal funds profits for 2025. Welcome house”! Zakharov shared on Telegram.
