Feds arrest couple, seize $3.6 billion in hacked bitcoin funds
Officials said Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and his wife, Heather Morgan, 31, were charged with conspiring to launder money. They are accused of trying to launder 119,754 bitcoin that were stolen after a hacker breached the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex and initiated more than 2,000 unauthorized transactions. Prosecutors said the bitcoin was sent to a digital wallet controlled by Lichtenstein.
“Cryptocurrency is not a safe haven for criminals,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a written statement that accused Lichtenstein and Morgan of trying“Thanks to the meticulous work of law enforcement, the department once again showed how it can and will follow the money, no matter the form it takes,” Monaco said.Bitfinex had previously offered a reward potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars for information leading to the return of the stolen funds. U.S.
An affidavit filed by an IRS agent against the couple alleges that they spent only a small fraction of the stolen money, some of it on gold and some on non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, a unique digital representation that is sold or traded as a work of art or collectible.U.S.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Justice Dept. announces $3.6B cryptocurrency seizure, 2 arrestsA New York couple were arrested Tuesday on charges of conspiring to launder $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency that was stolen in a 2016 hack of a virtual currency exchange, the Justice Department said.
Read more »
Frontier Airlines offers almost $3 billion for Spirit in low-cost airline mergerFrontier Airlines is offering to buy Spirit Airlines in a $2.9 billion cash-and-stock deal that would create the nation’s fifth largest carrier.
Read more »
Feds arrest two and seize $3.6 billion in bitcoin stolen in 2016 hack of Bitfinex exchangeNew York husband and wife, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, are charged with money laundering and fraud.
Read more »
Feds Seize $3.6 Billion In Stolen Bitcoin, Arrest Couple Five Years After Massive Crypto Exchange HackBitcoin prices fell after news of the seizure, which authorities called their largest ever.
Read more »
‘Disgraceful end’: Luxury cruise ships seized by feds in BahamasUS Marshals seized a pair of popular cruise ships in the Bahamas Friday upon allegations that their Miami-based owner, Crystal Cruises, has failed to pay $4.6 million in fuel bills.
Read more »
Feds might allow safe injection sites for drug users after fighting Philadelphia’s planSuch sites exist in Canada, Australia and Europe and have been discussed for years in New York and some other U.S. cities.
Read more »