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☆ Crypto’s 2023 was marred by fraud and scandal. It was its best year ever
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-24 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Crypto’s 14th year in existence was one marred by scandal, bankruptcy, fraud and regulatory squabbling. Bitcoin, the crypto’s bellwether asset, is up 160% for the year. “It was the year of crypto’s resiliency,” Kyla Curley, a crypto expert and partner at global advisory StoneTurn, tells CNN. “Fraud is fraud,” Curley says, “Regardless of the technology or the industry … you cannot stop human nature. Adding to that bullish sentiment: the bitcoin halving, or, more menacingly, “the halvening.”While it’s often a buy-the-hype-sell-the-news kind of event, the halving does tend to push bitcoin higher.

Persons: New York CNN —, “, ”, Sam Bankman, Zhao, Alex Mashinsky, Heather “ Razzlekhan ” Morgan, Ilya Lichtenstein, ‘, Bonnie, Clyde ’, Bitcoin, crypto’s, ” Kyla Curley, ” Curley, Changpeng Zhao, Eduardo Munoz, Costas Baltas, Faryar Shirzad, bitcoin, ” Antoni Trenchev, ” Trenchev, Warren Buffett, Anthony Scaramucci, “ Bitcoin Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Crypto’s, CNN, Department of Justice, crypto’s, grifters, Bitcoiners, SkyBridge Locations: New York, SBF, Bitcoin

☆ US man pleads guilty to laundering crypto stolen from Bitfinex hack
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Photo illustration of Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange website taken September 27, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A New York technology entrepreneur pleaded guilty on Thursday to laundering funds stolen from Bitfinex, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges, with his wife, an online rapper, expected to follow. His wife Heather Morgan, who used the hip-hop alias "Razzklekhan" to promote her music, is expected to enter her own plea later on Thursday. Lichtenstein and Morgan had been arrested in February 2022 on charges of laundering more than 100,000 bitcoin that was stolen after a hacker attacked Bitfinex in 2016. A docket entry in late July shows that Lichtenstein and Morgan reached their plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington.

Persons: Bitfinex, Dado Ruvic, Ilya Lichtenstein, Colleen Kollar, Heather Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Lisa Monaco, Luc Cohen, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, U.S . Department of Justice, Prosecutors, Thomson Locations: York, Washington, United States, U.S

☆ 'Crypto couple' husband confesses to being the original Bitfinex hacker during plea hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The "crypto couple" pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracies in federal court on Thursday. The couple was accused of conspiring to launder 119,764 stolen bitcoin worth $4.5 billion. Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, and Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money-laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors said Lichtenstein and Morgan conspired to launder 119,764 bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex, though the couple were not initially accused of carrying out the hack itself. The stolen bitcoin was worth $71 million at the time before skyrocketing in value in the subsequent years.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Both Lichtenstein, Prosecutors Organizations: Morning, CNBC, Department of Justice, Authorities, Prosecutors Locations: Russian, American, United States, Manhattan, Russia

☆ ‘Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde’ plead guilty to money laundering
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —A husband and wife, whose eccentricities and alleged crimes earned them the nickname “Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde,” pleaded guilty to orchestrating a $4.5 billion money-laundering scheme linked to the 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex. Until Thursday’s hearing in Washington, DC, federal court, neither Morgan nor Lichtenstein had been directly implicated in the hacking of Hong Kong-based crypto exchange Bitfinex. “Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks” and enlisted his wife’s help in laundering the funds, prosecutors said. Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to a press release from the Justice Department. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

Persons: Bonnie, ”, Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, “ Razzlekhan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Colleen Kollar, Kotelly, Lichtenstein “, “ Lichtenstein, Clarissa, ” Lichtenstein Organizations: CNN, Justice Department, New Locations: Clyde, Russian, Washington , DC, Hong Kong, New York, Manhattan, Russia, United States

☆ The 'crypto couple' is pleading guilty in their alleged $4.5 billion bitcoin heist. Here's how the saga unfolded.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The "crypto couple" Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan are due for a plea hearing on August 3. The couple is expected to plead guilty to orchestrating a $4.5 billion bitcoin-laundering scheme. An attorney for both Lichtenstein and Morgan did not respond to Insider's request for comment ahead of Thursday's plea hearing. Prosecutors also alleged that Lichtenstein and Morgan had been planning to flee to Russia under new identities. Lichtenstein, whom prosecutors have described as a flight risk due to his Russian citizenship, has remained incarcerated.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, ensnared, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Olivier Douliery Organizations: Service, Department of Justice, IRS, Prosecutors Locations: Wall, Silicon, Manhattan, United States, Lichtenstein, Russia

☆ US couple accused of laundering crypto from Bitfinex hack reach plea deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - An American couple accused of laundering $4.5 billion in cryptocurrency stolen from the 2016 hacking of virtual currency exchange Bitfinex have entered into a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Washington, court records showed on Friday. They are set to appear for a plea hearing on Aug. 3 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, court records showed. A lawyer for Lichtenstein and Morgan and a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's office in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The pair was accused of conspiring to launder more than 100,000 bitcoin that was stolen, after a hacker attacked Bitfinex and initiated more than 2,0000 unauthorized transactions. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Morgan, Colleen Kollar, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Bitfinex, Luc Cohen, Jonathan Oatis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: YORK, U.S, Thomson Locations: American, Washington, Manhattan, New York

The New York couple charged with trying to launder $4.5 billion in bitcoin stolen in a 2016 hack of Bitfinex appear set to plead guilty in the case. An information is a type of charging document that federal prosecutors typically use when defendants have agreed to plead guilty. Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Friday ordered prosecutors and defense lawyers to provide plea paperwork to her by Thursday, the docket shows. The couple was not charged in the hack of the Hong Kong-based cryptocurrency exchange. The bitcoin stolen in the hack was worth just $70 million at the time of the theft, but soared in value in the following years.

Persons: Ilya Lichtenstein, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, Lichtenstein, Morgan, Colleen Kollar, didn't Organizations: D.C, Attorney's, CNBC, Prosecutors, Department of Justice, Netflix Locations: York, Washington, United States, Russian, U.S, Hong Kong

☆ Self-proclaimed 'Crocodile of Wall Street' gets tech job while under house arrest
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Heather Morgan, aka "Razzlekhan," has been in house arrest facing charges in a massive crypto scheme. A D.C. federal court is now letting her leave home just to work at a tech company's NYC office. Morgan has managed to wrangle some freedoms during her house arrest so far. "While awaiting resolution of this matter, Ms. Morgan has sought to be productive," her lawyer told the court in November. Morgan wore a few hats in her past life, calling herself the "Crocodile of Wall Street," and writing columns.

Instead, they're embroiled in a battle over who is the legal owner of all that stolen crypto. A company spokesperson told CNBC that Bitfinex customers could have sold the tokens for cash and then used the cash to buy more bitcoins at the time. The decision to offer customers tokens came after the company decided to generalize its losses across all account holders by 36%. Bitfinex hack victim Rafal Bielenia. Will Hogarth, who also had his crypto stolen in the Bitfinex hack, told CNBC, "I still expect my bitcoin back and I don't see any reason why they would keep it."

☆ New: The Accused Crypto Couple
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew: The Accused Crypto CoupleIn February 2022, the Justice Department announced charges against Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein for their alleged roles in the conspiracy to launder $4.5 billion in stolen cryptocurrency.

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