U.S. to send cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik to Russia in prisoner swap for Marc Vogel
CBSN
A Russian cybercriminal and crypto fraudster will be sent back to Moscow as part of a prisoner swap that on Tuesday brought American Marc Fogel home after more than three years in Russian custody.
Alexander Vinnik in 2024 entered a guilty plea to conspiracy to commit money laundering. The 45-year-old operated BTC-e, at one point one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. Prosecutors said BTC-e was a valuable tool for criminals looking to move or launder money. They said BTC-e pocketed $121 million from "numerous computer intrusions and hacking incidents, ransomware attacks, identity theft schemes, corrupt public officials, and narcotics distribution rings."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Vinnik would be exchanged for Fogel and would be returning to Russia.
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