The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a website to gather statements from people affected by the 2016 Bitfinex hack. This initiative aims to provide potential victims a chance to share their experiences resulting from the criminal actions of Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather Morgan.
In August 2016, Lichtenstein infiltrated the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, leading to the theft of around 120,000 Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH), which were valued at approximately $72 million at the time. However, the stolen Bitcoin is now worth around $9.2 billion. Lichtenstein and his wife developed a complex laundering scheme involving multiple layers of transactions, cryptocurrency mixers, non-compliant exchanges, darknet markets, and bank accounts both in the United States and abroad.
Heather Morgan helped her husband launder the illicit funds, and they continued their activities until their arrest in February 2022. They were charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the United States. In August 2023, Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, while Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.
Both are set to be sentenced in November 2024.
