In a tale that could only be spun from the looms of fate, Aleksei Andriunin, a Russian gentleman of dubious repute, has found himself entangled in the sticky web of cryptocurrency manipulation via the Gotbit market maker platform. It appears that our dear Andriunin has struck a rather unfortunate plea deal with the esteemed prosecutors of the United States, as reported by the ever-watchful legal news service, Law360, on the fateful day of March 19.
Ah, the illustrious Gotbit founder and CEO, Andriunin, has graciously agreed to forfeit a staggering sum of approximately $23 million in Tether USDt (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC). One can only imagine the sighs of relief from the Massachusetts federal prosecutors, who must have felt like they had just won the lottery—albeit a rather grim one.
As part of this grand bargain, Andriunin will plead guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation. A letter, signed with the flourish of a man who knows he’s in deep trouble, was penned on that very day.
“The defendant understands and agrees that this forfeiture shall not satisfy or affect any fine, lien, penalty, restitution, cost of imprisonment, tax liability, or any other debt owed to the United States,” the letter reads, as if it were a script from a tragicomedy.
But Wait! The Agreement Doesn’t Bind the US Attorney General! 🎭
In a letter addressed to our beleaguered defendant, the US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, made it abundantly clear that this agreement to forfeit $23 million is merely a private affair between Andriunin and the attorney. “It does not bind the Attorney General of the United States or any other federal, state, or local prosecuting authorities,” she wrote, perhaps with a smirk.
Furthermore, the letter states that the defendant is fully aware that the court is under no obligation to adhere to the proposed sentencing calculations from the Massachusetts attorney. Oh, the irony!
“The defendant may not withdraw his guilty plea if he disagrees with how the court calculates the guidelines or with the sentence imposed,” attorney Foley quipped, as if she were delivering the punchline to a particularly dark joke.
Extradition: The Plot Thickens! 🕵️♂️
Our protagonist, Andriunin, was whisked away to the US in October 2024, following his dramatic arrest by the Portuguese authorities. Since his arrival, he has graced the federal court in Boston, where he has been ordered to remain detained, much to his chagrin.
At the tender age of 26, Andriunin has been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation in a superseding indictment. One can only wonder what his mother would say!
According to the court documents, Gotbit was not merely a crypto “market maker” but a veritable maestro orchestrating a “widespread cryptocurrency market manipulation scheme.” Registered in Belize, it was said to provide artificial trading volume for global firms, including those in the US, from 2017 to 2024. Quite the international escapade!
In addition to Andriunin, the criminal complaint from Massachusetts authorities in September 2024 also implicated other Gotbit employees, such as marketing director Fedor Kedrov and sales director Qawi Jalili, both of whom are presumably enjoying their time in Russia.
In the plea letter, attorney Foley noted that the assets listed in the forfeiture section of the Gotbit plea agreement are solely controlled by the defendant on Gotbit’s behalf, despite these assets belonging to Gotbit. Ah, the tangled web we weave!
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2025-03-20 12:49