Three Russian nationals have been charged with money laundering for their part in the cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io.
The accused, Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko and Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, were on the receiving end of an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia. The third man at the heart of the money laundering charges, Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov, remains at large.
The case began when the Sinbad.io infrastructure was seized as part of an international strike by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Netherlands’ Financial Intelligence and Investigative Service, Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
Three Russian nationals charged with money laundering
Blender.io and Sinbad.io aimed to hide the source of electronic cryptocurrency transfers, colloquially known in these circles as a “Mixer.” The point of origin for specific transfers, especially those involving black markets and digital markets that are not publicly traded, is of great interest to international legal bodies as it can come from cryptocurrency thefts, ransomware attacks, and other crimes.
“Blender.io and Sinbad.io were allegedly used by criminals across the world to launder funds stolen from victims of ransomware, virtual currency thefts, and other crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “This indictment demonstrates our continued commitment to dismantling infrastructure cybercriminals use to steal from Americans and hide their ill-gotten gains.”
The Russian nationals have now been charged as a result of the Georgia grand jury indictment. Ostapenko was charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Oleynik and Tarasov are both charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and one count of operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
For each unlicensed money-transmitting business count, the maximum penalty for money laundering is twenty years and five years, respectively.
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