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A hacker has been sentenced to 5 years successful a US situation for laundering the proceeds of 1 of the biggest ever cryptocurrency thefts.
Ilya Lichtenstein pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth successful the lawsuit involving the Bitfinex cryptocurrency speech being hacked successful 2016 and the theft of astir 120,000 bitcoin.
He laundered the stolen cryptocurrency with the assistance of his woman Heather Morgan, who utilized the alias Razzlekhan to beforehand her hep hop music.
At the clip of the theft, the bitcoin was worthy astir $70m (£55.3m), but had risen successful worth to much than $4.5bn by the clip of they were arrested.
The $3.6bn worthy of assets recovered successful the lawsuit was the biggest fiscal seizure successful the DOJ's history, lawman lawyer General Lisa Monaco said astatine the time.
“It’s important to nonstop a connection that you can’t perpetrate these crimes with impunity, that determination are consequences to them,” territory justice Colleen Kollar-Kotelly said.
Lichtenstein, who has been successful situation since his apprehension successful February 2022, expressed remorse for his actions.
He besides said that helium hopes to use his skills to combat cybercrime aft serving his sentence.
Morgan besides pleaded blameworthy past twelvemonth to 1 number of conspiracy to perpetrate wealth laundering. She is owed to beryllium sentenced connected 18 November.
According tribunal documents, Lichtenstein utilized precocious hacking tools and techniques to hack into Bitfinex.
Following the hack, helium enlisted Morgan's assistance to launder the stolen funds.
They "employed galore blase laundering techniques", the US Department of Justice (DoJ) said successful a statement.
The methods included utilizing fictitious identities, switching the funds into antithetic cryptocurrencies and buying golden coins.
Lichtenstein, who was calved successful Russia but grew up successful the US, would past conscionable couriers portion connected household trips and determination the laundered wealth backmost home, prosecutors said.
Morgan's Razzlekhan persona went viral connected societal media erstwhile the lawsuit emerged.
Even arsenic the mates attempted to screen up the hack, she published dozens of expletive-filled euphony videos and rap songs filmed successful locations astir New York.
In her lyrics she called herself a "bad-ass wealth maker" and "the crocodile of Wall Street".
In articles published successful Forbes magazine, Morgan besides claimed to beryllium a palmy exertion businesswoman, calling herself an "economist, serial entrepreneur, bundle capitalist and rapper".
English (US)