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Russian computer technologist faces up to 55 years in prison on charges of stealing and laundering billions of dollars in cryptocurrency
Alexander Vinnik was transferred from Greece to the United States, his relatives told RIA Novosti. They said that the Russian was transported on a private plane to Boston, where he was allowed to call home. Vinnik was then sent on a business plane to San Francisco.
“Everything happened and was framed as a kidnapping,” the family of the Russian said.
On August 4, France handed Vinnik over to Greece as part of a Greek extradition request. Then Athens extradited him to the United States. The lawyers of the Russian claim that they could not meet with him and do not know where he is.
Vinnik was arrested in July 2017 in Greece at the request of the US Department of Justice. He was accused of being involved in the theft from the Japanese stock exchange Mt. Gox of $4 billion to $9 billion worth of cryptocurrencies and laundering it through the BTC-e platform, presumably created by him. In January 2020, the Russian was extradited to Paris. In the US, he faces up to 55 years in prison.
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