Bitcoin · Federal Reserve (FED) · Ukraine · Bitcoin Magazine
U.S. Charges Two Men for $389 Million Bitcoin and Crypto Money Laundering Scheme Tied to Dark Web
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Federal prosecutors charged two Eastern European nationals with operating AudiA6, a cryptocurrency mixing service and cybercrime platform that allegedly laundered nearly $400 million in bitcoin.
Key facts
- AudiA6 accepted approximately 10,333 Bitcoin, valued at roughly $389.7 million at the time of the transactions, into its wallets, earning at least $10 million in commission fees by charging clients
- Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, a Ukrainian national, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, a Russian national, were arrested in Batumi, Republic of Georgia, where both men reside, according to U.S
- The case, built partly on six undercover operations conducted between December 2022 and May 2026, featured FBI and Secret Service agents posing as criminals seeking to launder proceeds from scams
- Federal prosecutors charged two Eastern European nationals with operating AudiA6, a cryptocurrency mixing service and cybercrime platform that allegedly laundered nearly $400 million in bitcoin
Summary
Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia charged two men Wednesday with running an international bitcoin and crypto money laundering operation that processed nearly $400 million in illicit funds over five years, part of a sweeping multinational law enforcement takedown that dismantled the group’s criminal infrastructure across multiple continents. Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, a Ukrainian national, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, a Russian national, were arrested in Batumi, Republic of Georgia, where both men reside, according to U.S. Attorney David Metcalf of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Each faces one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of sting money laundering, charges that carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.