Tech Guy And His Rapper Wife Arrested Trying To Launder $4 Billion Of Bitcoin
An influencer couple has been arrested in connection with laundering cryptocurrency worth about $4.5 billion that was stolen during a massive hack in 2016.
Residents of Manhattan, Ilya ¡°Dutch¡± Lichtenstein, 34, and his rapper wife, Heather Morgan, 31, allegedly tried to wash 119,754 bitcoin that were stolen when the systems of virtual currency exchange Bitfinex were breached by a hacker.
Largest-known crypto money laundering operation
Being dubbed the largest-known cryptocurrency money laundering operation in history, the couple reportedly transferred the hefty amounts to a digital wallet in control of the husband. Following it up with a "complicated money laundering process," they were able to move the funds.
The stolen crypto was then used to buy a variety of things - including NFTs, gold, and a $500 Walmart gift card, according to a criminal complaint that was unsealed on Tuesday.
Also read:?Crypto Worth Over $8.6 Billion Was Laundered By Cybercriminals In 2021
The couple used sophisticated laundering techniques to materialise their scheme. They not only set up online accounts under false identities but also moved the money illegally on the dark web, federal prosecutors said.
During a raid in their home, agents found a bag with label "burner phones" filled with cellphones. Lichtenstein, who holds a dual Russian-US citizenship also had a file called "passport_ideas" on his computer.
American agents recovered a whopping $3.6 billion in bitcoin that were stolen during the Bitfinex hack, making it the Justice Department's largest-ever financial seizure.
Also read:?World's First LGBTQIA+ Cryptocurrency 'Maricoin' Wants To Change The World
The couple is now looking at a maximum of 25 years each if convicted. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said that "today's arrests... show that cryptocurrency is not a safe haven for criminals."
What do you think the misadventures of this American couple? Let us know in the comments below.?For more in the world of?technology?and?science, keep reading?Indiatimes.com.
