BTC-e Operator Vinnik’s Five-Year Prison Sentence Upheld by Court: Report
BTC-e Operator Vinnik’s Five-Year Prison Sentence Upheld by Court: Report
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Kevin Reynolds
Sun, June 27, 2021, 7:37 PM·1 min read
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The five-year prison term for Russian Alexander Vinnik, convicted in France on money laundry charges, was upheld by the Court of Appeal of Paris on Thursday, according to a report by TASS.
Vinnik, an alleged operator of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was sentenced last December on the charge of money-laundering. Other charges, including “extortion, conspiracy and harming automatic data-processing systems,” were dropped at the time of sentencing.
The U.S. Department of Justice named him as a mastermind behind one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges, BTC-e, and indicted him on allegations of “computer intrusions and hacking incidents, ransomware scams, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials and narcotics distribution rings.”
Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 at the behest of the U.S., prompting a three-way battle amongst France, Russia and the U.S. for his extradition with France ultimately winning.
According to TASS, Vinnik was successful in one aspect this week: The court exempted him from a fine of 100,000 euros (USD $119,400). Prosecutors had sought a reduction of the amount due to concerns that Vinnik could not pay it.
BTC-USD
+5.28%
PAY-USD
+11.78%
Kevin Reynolds
Sun, June 27, 2021, 7:37 PM·1 min read
BTC-USD
+5.28%
PAY-USD
+11.78%
The five-year prison term for Russian Alexander Vinnik, convicted in France on money laundry charges, was upheld by the Court of Appeal of Paris on Thursday, according to a report by TASS.
Vinnik, an alleged operator of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, was sentenced last December on the charge of money-laundering. Other charges, including “extortion, conspiracy and harming automatic data-processing systems,” were dropped at the time of sentencing.
The U.S. Department of Justice named him as a mastermind behind one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges, BTC-e, and indicted him on allegations of “computer intrusions and hacking incidents, ransomware scams, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials and narcotics distribution rings.”
Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 at the behest of the U.S., prompting a three-way battle amongst France, Russia and the U.S. for his extradition with France ultimately winning.
According to TASS, Vinnik was successful in one aspect this week: The court exempted him from a fine of 100,000 euros (USD $119,400). Prosecutors had sought a reduction of the amount due to concerns that Vinnik could not pay it.
