Couple accused of laundering crypto from Bitfinex hack signs court settlement By CriptoFácil

2023-07-21 21:10:10

© Reuters Couple Accused of Laundering Crypto from Bitfinex Hack Sign Plea Deal

CriptoFácil – A New York couple accused of laundering $4.5 billion in cryptocurrencies related to the hacker attack that Bitfinex suffered in August 2016 – which resulted in the loss of 119,754 Bitcoins – entered into a plea deal with federal prosecutors, according to court documents this Friday (21).

Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan, both from Manhattan, are due to appear at a hearing early next month, on August 3, before US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington.

As part of the settlement, the couple agreed to forfeit the proceeds of the nearly 120,000 Bitcoins stolen from Bitfinex.

Morgan, known by her rapper name “Razzlekhan”, and Lichtenstein were arrested last year. However, in February 2022, a judge granted bail to Morgan but not Lichtenstein. That’s because the defense argued that the case against her was weaker than the case against him.

Her defense claimed that the only evidence against Morgan was that she “allegedly received funds in connection with the act”. Furthermore, she stated that her health issues required a release.

Hack da Bitfinex

The couple pleaded guilty to three counts, two counts of money laundering and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. The US attorney has ordered the couple to forfeit a billion dollars in , Ether, stablecoins and other cryptocurrencies, in addition to money from their bank accounts, according to the plea deal.

The pair allegedly conspired to launder over 100,000 Bitcoins stolen in the Bitfinex hack. Morgan and her husband face charges for laundering around 25,000 BTC. Additionally, they reportedly had access to another 94,000 stolen BTC — worth around $3.5 billion at press time.

Earlier this month, Bitfinex said it recovered $312,000 in cash and nearly $2,000 in cash from the 2016 hack. The court settlement with the couple ends one of the most dramatic criminal cases in cryptocurrency history. However, the identity of the Bitfinex hackers remains a mystery.

By CriptoFacil