Bitfinex Stolen BTC Money Laundering Case: Husband Faces Pretrial Detention, Wife Gets Bail

The husband and wife accused in the famous $3.6 billion bitcoin laundering case had a very different Valentine's Day. A federal judge has upheld a stay of release for wife Heather Morgan, while her husband Ilya Lichtenstein has been sent to pre-trial detention.

Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that Lichtenstein had the motive and resources to flee and therefore must be detained. Morgan met the criteria for a probationary release on $3 million bond.

Lawyers representing the couple have denied any motive for their flight and said the couple has no plans to travel abroad despite being under investigation since last year, citing their family ties and future, The New York Times reported. plan.

The lead defendant in the case is alleged to have laundered 94,000 of the 119,754 BTC stolen from cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex in 2016, estimated to be worth more than $5.1 billion in today’s dollars. Early investigations found the pair were not connected to the theft of funds in 2016. However, the investigation found they were actively involved in money laundering using a complex web of accounts.

The U.S. Department of Justice seized 94,000 bitcoins held by Lichtenstein in connection with the hack, the largest cryptocurrency seizure in the agency’s history. The DOJ first traced 25,000 BTC from the Bitifinex hack to financial accounts controlled by the couple, and later recovered a total of $3.6 billion worth of Bitcoin in their possession.

The biggest bitcoin hack has become a hot topic in social circles and online streaming giant Netflix, which has announced a new documentary series about the couple's theft and money laundering.

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