US Frees Russian Accused of Laundering $9 Billion

In exchange for American Mark Fogel, who returned to the United States, Washington releases Russian businessman Alexander Vinnik. In the United States, he is accused of laundering billions of dollars through the BTC-e crypto exchange, the BBC reports.

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White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt announced Vinnik's release. She noted that another American citizen had been released by the Belarusian authorities.

The Kommersant newspaper, citing its sources, wrote that Vinnik had left prison in the state of California. His lawyer, Frederic Belo, also confirmed that Alexander Vinnik's case in the US had been completed and that he was free. Belo specified that his client would soon be sent from the US to Russia.

On the subject: Russia Frees Arrested American: Trump's Special Envoy Flew to Moscow to Pick Him Up

US authorities took into account that Vinnik had not committed any violent crimes.

On February 12, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow and Washington were conducting a new prisoner exchange.

As part of this exchange, US citizen Mark Vogel was released, and a Russian citizen in an American prison will return to Moscow, according to Peskov. He did not name him, but specified that his return is expected in the coming days.

Alexander Vinnik's lawyers previously stated that they hoped to include their client in a deal to exchange him for one of the Americans arrested in Russia.

The name of the US citizen released in Belarus has not yet been released. It is only known that Radio Liberty journalist (recognized in Russia as a "foreign agent" and "undesirable" organization) Andrei Kuznechik and activist Elena Movshuk were released from prison with him. They are currently in Lithuania.

Vinnik was arrested at the request of the FBI in July 2017 at a resort in Greece. In the US, he was suspected of creating and administering the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, which was among the top ten largest crypto platforms in the world with a daily turnover of $66 million.

Because the exchange did not comply with anti-money laundering laws — for example, it allowed trading from anonymous accounts — the entire BTC-e turnover was considered illegal by US authorities. The Northern District of California Court valued it at $9 billion.

In early 2020, Vinnik was sent to France, where he was charged with identity theft and extortion and sentenced to five years in prison.

In August 2022, the Russian was extradited to the United States, where he faced a 50-year sentence for laundering at least $4 billion.

Immediately after the businessman’s arrest in Greece, Russia tried to secure his return to his homeland through the “parallel exchange” procedure.

In Russia, two criminal cases were opened against Vinnik - in both he was suspected of fraud. Requests for his extradition were sent to Greece. Vinnik is still on the federal wanted list.

The Russian's lawyers emphasized that while their client was in custody in various countries, his wife died of brain cancer, and his sons were essentially left orphans.

Last May, Vinnik partially admitted his guilt. This deal with the prosecutor's office, according to his lawyers, allowed them to expect that their client's prison term "will be up to ten years."

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On February 11, Russian authorities extradited to the United States 63-year-old school teacher Mark Vogel, who was convicted in Russia on drug smuggling charges.

The White House said Vogel was released as part of the swap, but did not say who the U.S. would release in exchange.

Vogel spent more than three years in prison in Russia. In Washington, he was met on the steps of the White House by US President Donald Trump. Their meeting was broadcast live.

Fogel flew to the United States with Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, who, as the New York Times notes, Donald Trump instructed to "play a certain role" in the process of resolving the conflict in Ukraine.

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