BTC-e operator to be released as part of US-Russia prisoner swap
According to a Feb. 12 Wall Street Journal report, US authorities will surrender Vinnik as part of a deal in which schoolteacher Marc Fogel was released from Russian custody. The BTC-e operator pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges in May 2024
Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of crypto exchange BTC-e who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2024, will reportedly be freed as part of a deal between the US and Russian governments.
According to a Feb. 12 Wall Street Journal report, US authorities will surrender Vinnik as part of a deal in which schoolteacher Marc Fogel was released from Russian custody. The BTC-e operator pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges in May 2024, which involved him illegally moving funds through BTC-e, resulting in roughly $121 million in losses.
Fogel, who had been teaching at the Anglo-American School of Moscow, had been in Russian custody since 2021 after being arrested for illegal possession of cannabis at the airport. He returned to the US on Feb. 11 after his release.
Officials will reportedly release another Russian national, but it’s unclear at the time of publication whether any additional US citizens will also be repatriated. Several US nationals remain in Russia, facing various criminal charges.
