U.S. Indicts Three Russians for Cryptocurrency Mixing Operations
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💸🔍 U.S. indicts three Russians for operating cryptocurrency mixers linked to money laundering. The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov for their roles in running Blender.io and Sinbad.io, cryptocurrency mixing services accused of laundering funds from cybercrimes, including ransomware. Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested in December 2024, while Tarasov remains at large. The mixers allegedly facilitated transactions that obscured the origins of criminally derived cryptocurrency, benefiting state-sponsored hacking groups. Blender.io was previously sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for its connections to North Korea’s Lazarus Group. If convicted, the defendants face up to 25 years in prison. This indictment follows a broader investigation revealing over 1,100 victims of cryptocurrency scams with losses exceeding $25 million.
