Ilya Lichtenstein 因 2016 年 Bitfinex 黑客事件被判处 5 年监禁

利希滕斯坦因参与洗钱计划而被指控，该计划导致加密货币交易所近 120,000 枚比特币（按当前价格计算价值超过 105 亿美元）被盗。

A man who pleaded guilty to hacking cryptocurrency stock exchange Bitfinex in 2016 and stealing nearly 120,000 bitcoins has been sentenced to five years in prison, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) announced Thursday.

美国司法部 (DoJ) 周四宣布，一名承认 2016 年入侵加密货币证券交易所 Bitfinex 并窃取近 12 万比特币的男子被判处五年监禁。

Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, was charged for his involvement in a money laundering scheme that led to the theft of over $10.5 billion (as per current prices) from the crypto exchange. His wife, Heather Rhiannon Morgan, also pleaded guilty to the same crimes last year. They were both arrested in February 2022. Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 18.

35 岁的伊利亚·利希滕斯坦 (Ilya Lichtenstein) 因参与洗钱计划而被指控，该计划导致加密货币交易所被盗超过 105 亿美元（按当前价格计算）。他的妻子希瑟·瑞安农·摩根去年也承认犯有同样的罪行。他们均于 2022 年 2 月被捕。摩根计划于 11 月 18 日被判刑。

"Lichtenstein hacked into Bitfinex's network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques," the DoJ said in a press statement. "Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein's control."

美国司法部在一份新闻声明中表示：“利希滕斯坦于 2016 年使用先进的黑客工具和技术入侵了 Bitfinex 的网络。” “一旦进入网络，Lichtenstein 就欺诈性地授权了 2,000 多笔交易，将 119,754 比特币从 Bitfinex 转移到 Lichtenstein 控制的加密货币钱包中。”

The couple used fictitious identities to set up online banking accounts to launder the proceeds, depositing them in darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges, the DOJ said. The funds were eventually withdrawn, converted to other cryptocurrencies (a technique referred to as chain hopping), depositing a chunk of the ill-gotten assets into mixing services like Bitcoin Fog, converting them to fiat currency and moving to a U.S. bank account, and exchanging a portion of the crypto for gold coins.

美国司法部表示，这对夫妇使用虚构身份设立网上银行账户来洗钱，并将其存入暗网市场和加密货币交易所。这些资金最终被撤回，转换为其他加密货币（一种称为链跳的技术），将大量不义之财存入比特币雾等混合服务中，将其转换为法定货币并转移到美国银行账户，以及将一部分加密货币兑换成金币。

The development comes days after Roman Sterlingov, the 36-year-old founder of Bitcoin Fog, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison for facilitating money laundering activities between 2011 and 2021. Earlier this year, Lichtenstein had testified in court that he had used Bitcoin Fog 10 times to launder the virtual assets.

几天前，36 岁的比特币雾创始人罗曼·斯特林戈夫 (Roman Sterlingov) 因在 2011 年至 2021 年期间协助洗钱活动而被判处 12 年零 6 个月的监禁。今年早些时候，利希滕斯坦在法庭上作证说，他曾使用比特币雾洗钱 10 次。

Blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis previously revealed how the couple's purchase of Walmart gift cards using the stolen bitcoin at an unnamed virtual currency exchange eventually proved to be their undoing, after it was found that the gift cards were redeemed using the retail giant's iPhone app under an account in Heather Morgan's name.

区块链分析公司 Chainaanalysis 此前透露，这对夫妇在一家未具名的虚拟货币交易所使用被盗的比特币购买沃尔玛礼品卡，最终证明他们的失败，因为发现这些礼品卡是使用零售巨头的 iPhone 应用程序在一个账户下兑换的。以希瑟·摩根的名义。

"That enabled agents to get a search warrant for Lichtenstein and Morgan's home and cloud storage accounts, where they found files containing details of the cryptocurrency addresses used to move the stolen funds — including their private keys — along with the false information used to open accounts at cryptocurrency exchanges and plans to acquire fake passports," Chainalysis said.

“这使得特工获得了对利希滕斯坦和摩根的家庭和云存储帐户的搜查令，他们在其中发现了包含用于转移被盗资金的加密货币地址详细信息（包括他们的私钥）的文件，以及用于开设帐户的虚假信息加密货币交易所并计划获取假护照，”Chainaanalysis 表示。

"That discovery enabled investigators to trace the flow of funds in its entirety."

“这一发现使调查人员能够追踪整个资金流向。”

According to the Associated Press, Morgan is a business owner and writer. She also adopted the alter ego Razzlekhan to perform rap songs and record videos for her music. The pair had been living in San Francisco at the time of the hack.

据美联社报道，摩根是一名企业主和作家。她还采用了另一个自我 Razzlekhan 来表演说唱歌曲并为她的音乐录制视频。黑客入侵时，两人一直住在旧金山。

"Lichtenstein masterminded and orchestrated the Bitfinex hack without telling [Morgan]," prosecutors said. "He also initially solicited the defendant's assistance without explaining exactly what he was doing. The defendant was certainly a willing participant and bears full responsibility for her actions, but she was a lower-level participant."

检察官表示：“利希滕斯坦在没有告诉[摩根]的情况下策划并策划了 Bitfinex 黑客事件。” “他最初还请求被告协助，但没有具体解释自己在做什么。被告当然是自愿的参与者，并对她的行为承担全部责任，但她是较低级别的参与者。”

The sentencing also follows a guilty plea from Daren Li, 41, for partaking in a criminal scheme to launder $73.6 million stolen through cryptocurrency investment scams using a network of shell companies and international bank accounts. Li was arrested back in April 2024 at Atlanta. He is expected to be sentenced next March.

41 岁的李达人 (Daren Li) 认罪，罪名是参与一项犯罪计划，利用空壳公司和国际银行账户网络通过加密货币投资诈骗洗白被盗的 7,360 万美元。李于 2024 年 4 月在亚特兰大被捕。预计他将于明年三月被判刑。

"Li admitted that he conspired with others to launder funds obtained from victims through cryptocurrency scams and related fraud," the DoJ said. "In furtherance of the conspiracy, he communicated with his co-conspirators through encrypted messaging services."

美国司法部表示：“李承认他与其他人合谋，通过加密货币诈骗和相关欺诈对受害者获得的资金进行洗钱。” “为了推进阴谋，他通过加密消息服务与同谋进行沟通。”

"In order to conceal or disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the fraudulently obtained victim funds, Li would instruct co-conspirators to open U.S. bank accounts established on behalf of shell companies and would monitor the receipt and execution of interstate and international wire transfers of victim funds."

“为了隐瞒或掩饰骗取的受害人资金的性质、地点、来源、所有权和控制权，李某会指示同谋开设以空壳公司名义设立的美国银行账户，并监控诈骗资金的接收和执行。受害者资金的州际和国际电汇。”

The funds were subsequently deposited to financial accounts under their control, after which they would be converted to virtual currency like Tether, and distributed to wallets owned by Li and his co-conspirators. ​​Li faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

这些资金随后存入他们控制下的金融账户，然后转换为 Tether 等虚拟货币，并分发到李及其同谋拥有的钱包中。​​李面临最高20年监禁的刑罚。

"Financial criminals and the money launderers who enable them wreak untold harm, ruining lives in the process," said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. "Investors should be diligent and on guard against anyone offering quick riches via new, exotic investments. A healthy dose of skepticism could prevent financial ruin down the road."

加州中区联邦检察官马丁·埃斯特拉达 (Martin Estrada) 表示：“金融犯罪分子和洗钱者造成了难以估量的伤害，并在此过程中毁掉了人们的生活。” “投资者应该勤奋，警惕任何通过新的、奇异的投资提供快速致富的人。适当的怀疑态度可以防止未来的财务崩溃。”