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Russia to Sell $10M in Bitcoin Seized in Hack Case
Russian authorities are reportedly planning to sell approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin seized from the assets of a disgraced investigator who accepted bribes. The news comes as part of an ongoing effort by the government to liquidate its cryptocurrency holdings.
The seized funds originated from an investigation into the Infraud hacking group, which operated between October 2010 and February 2018. During this period, authorities seized approximately 5,212 Bitcoins, currently valued at nearly $100 million.
However, a significant portion of these coins had been stolen by Major Marat Tambiev, who was leading the inquiry. Tambiev allegedly accepted half of the BTC in exchange for not confiscating the other half and sparing the criminals from penal detention in favor of house arrest.
The investigation led to Tambiev’s arrest in 2022 and subsequent conviction on charges of accepting a bribe. He received a sentence of 16 years in a maximum security prison and was also ordered to pay a fine exceeding $5 million. His assistant, Kristina Lyakhovenko, was charged with falsifying evidence and served a nine-year prison term.
The sale of approximately $10 million worth of Bitcoin is reportedly the initial move by Russian authorities to liquidate their cryptocurrency assets. This move follows ongoing efforts to sell other properties belonging to Tambiev, including real estate and motor vehicles.
Additionally, news has emerged that the U.S. Justice Department has received clearance to liquidate up to 69,000 coins valued at approximately $6.5 billion, much of which originated from the defunct Silk Road online marketplace.
Source: cryptopotato.com
