A hacker has been sentenced to 5 years in a US jail for laundering the proceeds of some of the largest ever cryptocurrency thefts.Ilya Lichtenstein pleaded accountable closing 12 months within the case involving the Bitfinex cryptocurrency change being hacked in 2016 and the robbery of virtually 120,000 bitcoin.He laundered the stolen cryptocurrency with the assistance of his spouse Heather Morgan, who used the alias Razzlekhan to advertise her hip hop tune.On the time of the robbery, the bitcoin used to be price round $70m (£55.3m), however had risen in price to greater than $4.5bn by the point they have been arrested. At these days’s costs they might be price greater than double that.The $3.6bn price of property recovered within the case used to be the largest monetary seizure within the Division of Justice’s historical past, Deputy Legal professional Basic Lisa Monaco mentioned on the time.“It’s necessary to ship a message that you’ll’t devote those crimes with impunity, that there are penalties to them,” district pass judgement on Colleen Kollar-Kotelly mentioned.Lichtenstein, who has been in jail since his arrest in February 2022, expressed regret for his movements.He additionally mentioned that he hopes to use his abilities to struggle cybercrime after serving his sentence.Morgan additionally pleaded accountable closing 12 months to 1 rely of conspiracy to devote cash laundering. She is because of be sentenced on 18 November.In accordance courtroom paperwork, Lichtenstein used complex hacking equipment and strategies to hack into Bitfinex.Following the hack, he enlisted Morgan’s assist to launder the stolen finances.They “hired a lot of subtle laundering ways”, the Division of Justice mentioned in a remark.The strategies integrated the usage of fictitious identities, switching the finances into other cryptocurrencies and purchasing gold cash.Lichtenstein, who used to be born in Russia however grew up in the USA, would then meet couriers whilst on circle of relatives journeys and transfer the laundered a reimbursement house, prosecutors mentioned. Morgan’s Razzlekhan personality went viral on social media when the case emerged.Even because the couple tried to hide up the hack, she printed dozens of expletive-filled tune movies and rap songs filmed in places round New York.In her lyrics she referred to as herself a “bad-ass cash maker” and “the crocodile of Wall Boulevard”.In articles printed in Forbes mag, Morgan additionally claimed to be a a success era businesswoman, calling herself an “economist, serial entrepreneur, instrument investor and rapper”.
