Three Russians Charged with Money Laundering Linked to Crypto Mixers
Three Russian nationals involved with the sanctioned crypto mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io have been charged with money laundering by a federal grand jury in Georgia. The U.S. Department of Justice announced this on Friday.
- Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko and Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik were arrested last month.
- Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov remains at-large.
- The DOJ previously sanctioned Blender.io for facilitating cyber thefts linked to North Korean hackers.
- Authorities have seized the equipment used for these services.
- The indictment alleges that the mixers aided in laundering funds from ransomware and wire fraud.
- This case highlights ongoing debates over the regulation of crypto mixing services.
Blender.io operated from 2018 to 2022 before authorities dismantled it, leading to the establishment of Sinbad.io, which also faced sanctions.