Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, has been freed of all charges in the United States.
US Clears Alexander Vinnik’s Laundering Charges
The news was confirmed by Alexander Vinnik’s lawyer Arkady Bukh after Vinnik’s release last week, following a court decision in the Northern District of California to drop all charges against him.
Bukh shared that the court had agreed to their request and the prosecution had consented to dismiss the case. “The prosecutor’s office accepted our position and dropped all charges. Our client now holds a clean record in the United States,” Bukh said, calling the legal outcome a “unique and rare situation.” He called the decision a significant victory for Vinnik.
According to the local media reports, the lawyer also explained that with the charges dropped, Vinnik is now free to travel without any legal restrictions. He could enter European countries without fear of being detained due to his previous legal status in the US. “Legally, once charges are cleared, it is as if the arrest never occurred,” Bukh clarified. “Vinnik now has the right to assert that he was never arrested under US law.”
Vinnik, who had been detained in Greece in 2017 at the request of US authorities, returned to Russia on February 13 following a bilateral agreement between the two nations. Washington had accused him of laundering between $4 billion and $9 billion via the now-nonfunctioning BTC-e exchange and successfully sought his deportation in August 2022.
Also Read: China High Court: Overseas Crypto Investment Is Not Protected by Chinese Law
