US to Release Russian Cybercriminal in Prisoner Swap for Marc Fogel

• The U.S. will release Russian cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik in exchange for American teacher Marc Fogel.
• Vinnik, accused of laundering billions through Bitcoin, faced up to 20 years in prison in the U.S.
• In a separate move, Belarus freed three detainees, including journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, following U.S. negotiations.

The United States will release Russian national Alexander Vinnik as part of a prisoner exchange that facilitated the return of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison.

Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal, was arrested in 2017 on charges related to laundering billions of dollars through Bitcoin. A U.S. grand jury indicted him on 21 counts tied to the laundering of stolen funds. The White House confirmed his identity and imminent release to the BBC.

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Vinnik operated BTC-e, a cryptocurrency exchange that U.S. authorities accused of processing illicit funds linked to cybercrime, including ransomware attacks, identity theft, and drug sales. He was arrested in Greece at the request of U.S. law enforcement and extradited to the U.S., where he pleaded guilty in May 2023. Facing up to 20 years in prison, he was accused of facilitating the laundering of approximately $4 billion and being responsible for $121 million in financial losses.

The U.S. Justice Department stated that BTC-e had no anti-money laundering (AML) or Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance measures, making it a hub for criminal activity.

In a separate development, the White House announced Wednesday that Belarus had released three detainees following negotiations by a U.S. envoy. One of the freed individuals was an American, while another, journalist Andrey Kuznechyk, was confirmed to have been among those released, according to his employer, Radio Liberty.

Kuznechyk, a father of two, was arrested in 2021 and initially sentenced to 10 days for “hooliganism” before later facing additional charges of forming an extremist group, which led to a six-year prison sentence. Radio Liberty, a U.S.-funded news organization, celebrated his release, crediting former President Donald Trump’s involvement in the negotiations.

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U.S. Envoy for Hostages Adam Boehler told CNN that Belarus received nothing in return for the detainees’ release, claiming Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko agreed to the decision to “curry favor” with Trump. However, it remains unclear if the Belarusian prisoner release was linked to the U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.

Meanwhile, Boehler urged leaders in Venezuela, Iran, and Gaza to follow suit in releasing detained Americans.

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