US swaps Russian crypto operator for its citizen: Report

Alexander Vinnik, convicted of money laundering, exchanged for Marc Fogel’s release, according to media reports

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US swapped Russian prisoner Alexander Vinnik in exchange for the release of American Marc Fogel, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Vinnik, 44, was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the US in 2022, where he pleaded guilty in May 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering, according to the US Justice Department.

He operated BTC-e, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, which processed over $9 billion in transactions, including for cybercriminals, from 2011 to 2017.

Fogel, designated as “wrongfully detained” by the US in 2024, was serving a 14-year sentence in Russia on drug charges. The White House announced his release Tuesday.

Kaynak:

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