Feds Issue Self-Deport Order to HashFlare Founders Before Sentencing

Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin, founders of HashFlare, face criminal sentencing for a $577 million cryptocurrency mining Ponzi scheme. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security mistakenly ordered them to self-deport, contradicting a court order requiring them to remain in Washington state until their August sentencing.

The DHS sent emails instructing them to leave the U.S. immediately.
Both men were extradited from Estonia at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice in 2022, facing an 18-count indictment.
In February, they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to forfeit over $400 million in assets.
Their lawyers noted the DHS communication caused significant anxiety, highlighting concerns over immigration errors.
A DOJ letter confirmed coordination with DHS, securing a year-long deferral on the deportation order.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, where their lawyers will seek time served and immediate return to Estonia.