Alexander Vinnik’s lawyer has confirmed that the USA has “dropped” the case in opposition to the previous operations and finance director of the defunct crypto change platform BTC-e, following Vinnik’s launch final week.
Per the Russian state-run information company TASS, lawyer Arkady Bukh mentioned that the Northern District of California had “confirmed” it was “withdrawing” all costs in opposition to Vinnik.
Alexander Vinnik Launch a ‘Nice and Distinctive Victory,’ Lawyer Claims
Vinnik was freed in a prisoner swap with the American instructor Marc Fogel. Bukh mentioned:
“The decide has granted our request, and the case has been declassified. We managed to achieve an settlement with the prosecutor’s workplace. On the listening to, the prosecutor’s workplace agreed to drop the fees. Our consumer now has a clear slate in America.”
The lawyer additionally known as the decision “a singular and uncommon scenario,” including: “We understand this to be a fantastic victory.”
Prosecutors declare that criminals used BTC-e as a money-laundering platform, primarily utilizing Bitcoin (BTC) transactions.
Senior officers from the US and Russia are assembly subsequent week in Saudi Arabia to pave the way in which for a possible leaders’ summit to debate ending the battle in Ukraine, based on folks conversant in the matter https://t.co/Hppnd5CwsI
— Bloomberg (@enterprise) February 15, 2025
Vinnik Now ‘Free to Go to Europe if He Desires,’ Says Lawyer
Vinnik labored at BTC-e from 2011 to 2017. Greek police arrested him whereas he was on trip within the nation in 2017. He was later extradited to the US in August 2022.
Officers within the US mentioned that Vinnik oversaw cash laundering transactions price between $4 billion and $9 billion.
However Bukh hailed Vinnik’s fast reversal of fortune. The lawyer mentioned that “if Vinnik needed to,” he was now free to journey “to Europe.”
Bukh mentioned that immigration officers in Europe wouldn’t be capable to refuse entry to Vinnik “on the grounds that he was a defendant in an American courtroom.”
“Based on US regulation, an individual who has been cleared of authorized costs has the best to say that they had been by no means arrested. [It would be as if Vinnik] had by no means been charged with something.”
Russian lawyer Arkady Bukh
Prisoner Trade
Vinnik was returned to Russia on Thursday final week, days after Vogel’s launch. Russian police had detained Vogel on costs of drug smuggling.
The Kremlin was quoted as calling the prisoner change “a step towards growing mutual belief with Washington.”
The Russian Embassy in the USA final yr claimed it had visited Vinnik in jail in California and was “working to free” the previous crypto change exec.
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