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The United States has released Russian cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik in exchange for American teacher Marc Fogel.
Some shit you should know before you read: Last night, Marc Fogel, an American teacher who was labeled wrongfully detained by the State Department for having some medical marijuana on him, was finally released from Russian custody after an intense diplomatic effort. His release was brokered by Steve Witkoff, a real estate mogul and special envoy for Trump, who played a key role in negotiating the deal with Russian officials. Witkoff personally flew to Russia on his private jet, ensuring Fogel’s safe transport back to the United States after spending more than three years in a Russian penal colony. Upon landing in the US, Fogel was greeted at the White House by President Donald Trump, Witkoff, and other top officials.
What’s going on now: In exchange for Fogel, the White House confirmed the release of Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal who co-founded the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, which was accused of laundering more than $9 billion in illicit funds for cybercriminals across the globe. Vinnik was a key figure in enabling transactions tied to ransomware attacks, drug trafficking, identity theft schemes, and corruption, making BTC-e one of the primary financial platforms for the underground cybercrime economy. The Department of Justice alleged that Vinnik personally facilitated at least $120 million in criminal transactions and was directly involved in laundering money linked to the 2014 Mt. Gox hack, one of the largest Bitcoin thefts in history.
As a condition of his release, he was required to forfeit $100 million in illegal funds he obtained through BTC-e, marking one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed in a cybercrime case.
Vinnik’s lawyer reacts: In a statement, a lawyer for Vinnik said, “I am very happy [about] this release. I visited Alexander this summer in Santa Rita Jail. He was in very bad situation. I have met many people in the US to push for him to be included in the next exchange/swap. I have met Marc Fogel’s attorneys who were very helpful. It is a real relief for my client and his family.”
