US Department of Justice Issues Statement on Bitfinex Hack That Stole Billions of Dollars of Bitcoin

The US Division of Justice (DOJ) has launched a brand new web site to gather info and statements from these affected by the 2016 Bitfinex hack.

This initiative goals to achieve potential victims, together with Bitfinex account holders, who might have been harmed by the theft and subsequent cash laundering scheme involving 120,000 stolen Bitcoins.

The Division of Justice encourages affected people to train their rights beneath the Crime Victims Rights Act (CVRA) and share how they had been affected by the hack.

In 2016, hacker Ilya Lichtenstein infiltrated Bitfinex and stole a major quantity of Bitcoin. To hide the supply of the stolen funds, Lichtenstein used refined cash laundering methods involving cryptocurrency mixers, unregulated exchanges, darknet markets, and varied financial institution accounts world wide. His spouse, Heather Morgan, assisted within the elaborate cash laundering scheme till each had been arrested in February 2022.

Lichtenstein and Morgan pleaded responsible in August 2023 to cash laundering and conspiracy prices. Their sentencing is scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2024, in Washington, DC, earlier than Decide Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. The Division of Justice initiated this motion as a part of its dedication to transparency and to make sure that all people affected by this assault have the chance to remark previous to sentencing.

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