US Authorities Arrest and Announce $3.6 Billion Crypto Seizure After hackers stole 119,756 Bitcoin (BTC) from Bitfinex in 2016.
In the announcement on Tuesday The US Department of Justice said yes.orderIlya Lichtenstein and his wife Heather Morgan were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to launder crypto in connection with the 2016 hack of Bitfinex, amounting to $119,756 Bitcoin (BTC), worth $72 million at the time of hack. A hacker attacked the exchange in August 2016 and is now valued at more than $5.1 billion.
Since the 2016 hack, individuals linked to stolen coins have periodically moved small amounts of BTC using separate transactions. Keeping large sums of money untouched, the DoJ reportedly tracked 25,000 BTC of funds transferred to financial accounts controlled by Lichtenstein and Morgan. Special agents were then able to access and seize more than 94,000 BTC worth $3.6 billion at the time. That from Morgan and Lichtenstein.
“Today’s arrest It was the department’s biggest financial grab. It shows that cryptocurrencies are not a safe haven for criminals,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, “in a futile attempt to maintain digital anonymity. The defendants laundered stolen money through complex cryptocurrency transactions. But thanks to the careful work of law enforcement. And it shows once again that we can keep track of the money. no matter what form it is.”
Assistant Attorney General for the DoJ’s Criminal Division, Kenneth Polite, added: Federal agencies have the ability to The announcement states that Morgan and Lichtenstein use a variety of methods to launder illegal crypto, including chain hopping, depositing coins to exchanges and the darknet, and withdrawing. leave This included automated transactions using computer programs. “Makes their banking activities seem legitimate.”
Two investigative teams from the FBI and the Internal Revenue Services’ cybercrime unit said they were working to trace funds from the 2016 hack, although the agency has not yet identified how the agents used it. That led to the arrests of Morgan and Lichtenstein, but FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said the agency had “tools to track digital paths.”
Authorities have charged Lichtenstein and Morgan with conspiracy to launder money and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Each person may face an ingrown lesion for up to 25 years.
The post DoJ Seizes $3.6 Billion in Crypto And the arrest of those involved in the Bitfinex hack in 2016 appeared first on Bitcoin Addict.