Yesterday: Russian National and Bitcoin Exchange Charged in 21-Count Indictment

[Leghorn21]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Russian National And Bitcoin Exchange Charged In 21-Count Indictment For Operating Alleged International Money

Laundering Scheme And Allegedly Laundering Funds From Hack Of Mt. Gox

Defendant Alexander Vinnik Was Arrested in Greece to Face Charges in the United States; Bitcoin Exchange Alleged to Have Received Deposits Valued at Over $4 Billion



SAN FRANCISCO – A grand jury in the Northern District of California has indicted a Russian national and an organization he allegedly operated, BTC-e, for operating an unlicensed money service business, money laundering, and related crimes. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Brian J. Stretch for the Northern District of California; Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Chief Don Fort; Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Executive Associate Director Derek Benner; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge of the Louisville Division Amy Hess; United States Secret Service (USSS) Special Agent in Charge of the Criminal Investigative Division Michael D’Ambrosio; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Inspector General, Inspector General Jay N. Lerner; and Acting Director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), Jamal El-Hindi.

https://www.secretservice.gov/data/press/releases/2017/17-JUL/DOJ_Russian_National_and_Bitcoin_Exchange_Charged_In_21-_Count_Indictment.pdf

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Bitcoin/cryptocurrency seems to be gaining ground as a foolproof method for moving dark money. Well, except for this guy.

[defacto7]

1. The way bitcoin works....

it's already gone... They may have some evidence of transactions but likely no links to real people or accounts.... and there is no cash... it's gone. Not sure how you prosecute without the loot.

[Leghorn21]

2. Thanks - my understanding of this crypto cash is minimal at best, but it seems as if it just -

vanishes. As you say, "it's already gone". That's why finding this surprised me, because how will they prosecute if the evidence has already floated away into the interwebs?

I hear tell putin really likes this method of transferring $$...well, what mobster wouldn't, right?