As a crypto investor, I’ve learned about the recent legal action taken by the U.S. Justice Department. Three individuals of Russian origin are accused of engaging in money laundering activities. Their alleged crimes stem from their management of cryptocurrency tumblers, specifically Blender.io and Sinbad.io.
On January 10th, U.S. officials announced that a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia had issued an indictment against three individuals: Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov.
The accusation claimed that the cryptocurrency blending platforms run by the trio facilitated the laundering of ill-gotten gains, which had been taken from victims of ransomware attacks, digital currency heists, and other criminal activities, as stated by US Attorney Ryan Buchanan.
As stated by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent Wible, the defendants, through their alleged use of these mixers, facilitated criminal activities for hacking groups supported by states and other cybercriminals. These offenses not only posed a threat to public safety but also endangered national security due to the potential profits they generated.
The U.S. government’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed sanctions on Blender in May 2022, claiming that it was being used by the Lazarus Group, a hacking group based in North Korea, to wash money obtained illegally from the theft of cryptocurrency in the online game Axie Infinity.
It’s believed with a high degree of certainty that Blender, a crypto analysis firm, may have changed its name to Sinbad in February 2023. This potential rebranding could have played a role in the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) adding the mixer to their list of sanctioned entities in November 2023.
Previously, under the support of our global allies, we effectively dismantled Sinbad.io, as stated by Acting Special Agent in Charge Sean Burke from the FBI Atlanta Field Office. But that wasn’t enough for us. We kept our concentration on tracking down those who crafted it and making them face the consequences of their actions.
In December 2024, US officials apprehended Ostapenko and Oleynik, but Tarasov had not been captured when the news was published. All three individuals are being accused of conspiring to launder money and running an unauthorized money-transferring business. If found guilty, they could potentially spend over 25 years in prison.
Ongoing enforcement of crypto mixers
Critics within the cryptocurrency sector have voiced disapproval towards OFAC for imposing sanctions on certain unalterable smart contracts related to Tornado Cash in August 2022. A crypto advocacy group called Coin Center, along with six individuals supported by Coinbase, each filed separate lawsuits against the United States Treasury following the sanctions, claiming an abuse of power.
As a researcher delving into this topic, I’ve uncovered that alongside three Russian nationals associated with Tornado Cash, both US and international authorities have initiated criminal proceedings. Specifically, Roman Storm is scheduled for trial on money laundering charges in the United States come April, while Roman Semenov was featured on the FBI’s most-wanted list. Lastly, Alexey Pertsev was sentenced to serve more than five years in a Dutch prison, a verdict handed down in May 2024.
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2025-01-10 22:05