- Alexander Vinnik, co-founder of BTC-e, has confessed to money laundering conspiracy charges after a thorough investigation exposed illegal activities from 2011 to 2017.
- The US Department of Justice revealed that BTC-e, under Vinnik’s leadership, processed over $9 billion in transactions and amassed a user base exceeding one million globally, facilitating money laundering from various criminal enterprises.
- Operating without legal compliance measures, including registration with FinCEN and neglecting AML or KYC protocols, BTC-e ultimately resulted in criminal losses and legal repercussions for Vinnik.
Alexander Vinnik, co-founder of the cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, has admitted to charges of money laundering conspiracy following a comprehensive investigation that uncovered a series of illegal activities from 2011 to 2017.
Shocking lack of legal compliance
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed in a news statement that BTC-e processed over $9 billion and attracted over a million users worldwide while Vinnik was in charge of it. Money from a variety of illegal operations, including ransomware attacks, drug trafficking, and computer hacking, was laundered through the network.
The investigation has exposed that BTC-e operated without fundamental legal compliance measures.
Shockingly, the exchange failed to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and neglected Anti-Money Laundering (AML) or Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols.
Due to these flaws, BTC-e became popular among individuals seeking to conceal money transactions.
Furthermore, it was found that Vinnik had set up many shell corporations and bank accounts across the world, facilitating the unauthorised movement of money via BTC-e and causing at least $121 million in criminal damages.
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DOJ prepares sentencing for Vinnik
Vinnik was detained in Greece in 2017 on suspicion of money laundering; in 2020, he was extradited to France. He was convicted guilty of money laundering charges while in France, although he was cleared of ransomware allegations, carrying a five-year jail term.
Vinnik’s legal team attempted to appeal, arguing that he is just an exchange employee and has no relation to any illegal activity at BTC-e, but their efforts proved unsuccessful.
Vinnik served two years in a French jail before being extradited to the United States on August 5, 2022.
The Department of Justice announced that Vinnik’s sentencing will be determined by a federal district court judge, who will consider a range of statutory elements alongside the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
U.S. authorities have charged crypto exchanges and executives similarly, with former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried being sentenced to 25 years for seven felony charges on March 28.
