[2018-05-23] Vinnik Confessed To Fraudulent Through Cryptocurrency Exchange BTC-

[Alex077]

Vinnik Confessed To Fraudulent Through Cryptocurrency Exchange BTC-e

Russian citizen, Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in Greece on suspicion of money laundering of $ 4 billion through the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, confessed to Russian law enforcement agencies in fraudulent activities inside country, which caused damage of 750 million rubles.

According to media resource Interfax, the admission of guilt of Vinnik received the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and is now transferred to the police department in the Ostankino district of Moscow for a procedural decision.
As noted in the document, Vinnik admitted that in the period from 2011 to 2017 as a result of his fraudulent actions, namely through money laundering, an unspecified group of Russian citizens suffered material damage amounting to 750 million rubles. In addition, having access to the btc-e.com exchange, he committed fraud in the field of computer information in an especially large amount..https://en.bit.news/vinnik-confessed-to-fraudulent-through-cryptocurrency-exchange-btc-e/

[gentlemand]

No mention of Gox yet? That's the mystery that really intrigues me. Incredible that after all this time so little is still known about it.

[BitHodler]

No mention of Gox yet? That's the mystery that really intrigues me. Incredible that after all this time so little is still known about it.

It was set up in such a way, almost perfectly done, that there isn't anything other than trail taint they can follow.

In reality, we all have likely been distributing tainted Gox coins, so how exactly can you prove that they are one of the masterminds behind the theft? BTC-E, Bitstamp, Bitfinex, they all are in a similar situation.

The only difference is that BTC-E has always been more open and free for people to sign up and use it solely as mixer. The only limitation was that you can only withdraw 100BTC per day.

That's something you can easily bypass by dumping BTC for LTC and other coins to withdraw them all simultaneously. I think BTC-E can use that as a powerful shield to defend itself. In the end, there is no real proof.

[TraderTimm]

I'm sure Mark Karpeles is holding coins in cold storage somewhere.

Why else would that hapless idiot be smirking in every goddamn picture I see on the internet. He knows where it is, and doesn't give two shits about the people he defrauded.

Once he's out of the Japanese legal system, that bastard will probably escape the juridiction and set up shop somewhere else. He's already been hired by someone that was a "buddy" to Mt Gox anyway, it just reeks of insider collusion and kickbacks.

[gentlemand]

I'm sure Mark Karpeles is holding coins in cold storage somewhere.

Why else would that hapless idiot be smirking in every goddamn picture I see on the internet. He knows where it is, and doesn't give two shits about the people he defrauded.

Once he's out of the Japanese legal system, that bastard will probably escape the juridiction and set up shop somewhere else. He's already been hired by someone that was a "buddy" to Mt Gox anyway, it just reeks of insider collusion and kickbacks.

Rather like Bruce Willis, I think he has a resting smirk face even if he doesn't want one.

I wonder if and when he's going to come out with a full account of what he knew and didn't know and when. Even if it's largely fiction it would still make for a very interesting read. I'm sure there are some blockchain detectives who'll be able to match movements to his claims.

[Carlton Banks]

I wonder if and when he's going to come out with a full account of what he knew and didn't know and when. Even if it's largely fiction it would still make for a very interesting read. I'm sure there are some blockchain detectives who'll be able to match movements to his claims.

This is a pretty good reason why I'm not wondering if or when Karpeles will produce a full account of what he did and didn't know and when

[bbc.reporter]

No mention of Gox yet? That's the mystery that really intrigues me. Incredible that after all this time so little is still known about it.

It was set up in such a way, almost perfectly done, that there isn't anything other than trail taint they can follow.

In reality, we all have likely been distributing tainted Gox coins, so how exactly can you prove that they are one of the masterminds behind the theft? BTC-E, Bitstamp, Bitfinex, they all are in a similar situation.

The only difference is that BTC-E has always been more open and free for people to sign up and use it solely as mixer. The only limitation was that you can only withdraw 100BTC per day.

That's something you can easily bypass by dumping BTC for LTC and other coins to withdraw them all simultaneously. I think BTC-E can use that as a powerful shield to defend itself. In the end, there is no real proof.

Might bitmixer.io have been involved in this? Their exit from the cryptospace was very perplexing. The owner's final message also sounded like someone was pointing a gun on his head. It was the first and most common observation in the forum.

[gentlemand]

Might bitmixer.io have been involved in this? Their exit from the cryptospace was very perplexing. The owner's final message also sounded like someone was pointing a gun on his head. It was the first and most common observation in the forum.

I think it was probably down to the collective weight of the dodginess that ran through bitmixer rather than Gox itself. If I remember rightly there were a bunch of busts around then so they saw the writing was on the wall.

I agree that their final post was very odd. Its wording did nothing to assuage any doubts about what was going on.

[BitHodler]

Might bitmixer.io have been involved in this? Their exit from the cryptospace was very perplexing. The owner's final message also sounded like someone was pointing a gun on his head. It was the first and most common observation in the forum.

Not intentionally if so. In the end every possible service being liquid enough could be used to get rid of tainted coins with how regulations we're pretty much nonexistent by that time.

It involves so many coins, where back in the days the market was also a lot smaller, that we all (earlier Bitcoiners) may have contributed to complete distribution of the Gox coins.

I am sure that the authorities know that innocent people hold a lot of these tainted coins, but what is there that they can do about it? You can't just seize everyone's coins because they are tainted.

It's safe to say that the MtGox collapse is the best ever planned and carried out theft in the crypto space.

[bbc.reporter]

Might bitmixer.io have been involved in this? Their exit from the cryptospace was very perplexing. The owner's final message also sounded like someone was pointing a gun on his head. It was the first and most common observation in the forum.

I think it was probably down to the collective weight of the dodginess that ran through bitmixer rather than Gox itself. If I remember rightly there were a bunch of busts around then so they saw the writing was on the wall.

I agree that their final post was very odd. Its wording did nothing to assuage any doubts about what was going on.

Yes I was asking about bitmixer.io's involvement that may have included Alexander Vinnik's usage of the service.

@BitHolder. Cryptocoin mixing services know that they are also used by money launderers, drug dealers and others apart from using it to protect privacy. Saying not intentional would be a not correct way to put it hehehe.

[Carlton Banks]

money launderers

"Money laundering" is not the correct way to put it when it's impossible to stop people using it. Money laundering makes sense as a concept in the banking industry, because a bank is obliged to prevent money in their accounts from being used if suspected of being the proceeds of crime. It's not possible to do that with cryptocurrency, the model is completely different.

Talking about "money launderers" in cryptocurrency is like whipping your car to make it go faster, or shooting pizzas out of trees with a bow and arrow: get over it, those days are gone

[1Referee]

Cryptocoin mixing services know that they are also used by money launderers, drug dealers and others apart from using it to protect privacy. Saying not intentional would be a not correct way to put it hehehe.

Brick and mortar stores are mixers as well.

If I walk into a store with a €200 note (coming from a drug deal or whatever illegal activity) to buy some candy or whatever low value item (which can be seen as a fee), I get 'clean' money in return. Stores know that it happens, but they can't stop it and don't support it. They just do their business in a legal manner, and that goes up for Bitcoin mixers as well.

If we go by your logic, then the entire world economy is *intentionally* supporting illegal activity.

[SectorZero]

Vinnik Confessed To Fraudulent Through Cryptocurrency Exchange BTC-e

Russian citizen, Alexander Vinnik, who was arrested in Greece on suspicion of money laundering of $ 4 billion through the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange, confessed to Russian law enforcement agencies in fraudulent activities inside country, which caused damage of 750 million rubles.

According to media resource Interfax, the admission of guilt of Vinnik received the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation and is now transferred to the police department in the Ostankino district of Moscow for a procedural decision.
As noted in the document, Vinnik admitted that in the period from 2011 to 2017 as a result of his fraudulent actions, namely through money laundering, an unspecified group of Russian citizens suffered material damage amounting to 750 million rubles. In addition, having access to the btc-e.com exchange, he committed fraud in the field of computer information in an especially large amount..https://en.bit.news/vinnik-confessed-to-fraudulent-through-cryptocurrency-exchange-btc-e/

An interesting twist, and what exactly is written in this recognition Vinnik. Are there any details? Why he decided admission of guilt to the Russian Prosecutor's office, and not the Greeks for example.

[gentlemand]

An interesting twist, and what exactly is written in this recognition Vinnik. Are there any details? Why he decided admission of guilt to the Russian Prosecutor's office, and not the Greeks for example.

Russians don't ever seem to extradite their own no matter how appallingly they've behaved. Perhaps he's hoping to be transferred there somehow? Then again Russian imprisonment doesn't look much fun, that's if they can be bothered to do that. They might let him off for upsetting foreigners.

Presumably the legal types will do anything they can to stop him ending up in Russia.

[bbc.reporter]

money launderers

"Money laundering" is not the correct way to put it when it's impossible to stop people using it. Money laundering makes sense as a concept in the banking industry, because a bank is obliged to prevent money in their accounts from being used if suspected of being the proceeds of crime. It's not possible to do that with cryptocurrency, the model is completely different.

Talking about "money launderers" in cryptocurrency is like whipping your car to make it go faster, or shooting pizzas out of trees with a bow and arrow: get over it, those days are gone

But I assume the money launderers, who hired Alexander Vinnik, want their money deposited in clean fiat and safely stored in their bank accounts. BTC-e, bitcoin and the mixers were only the tools to make it possible.

[Samarkand]

...
They might let him off for upsetting foreigners.
...

This is extremely unlikely in my opinion.

Take a look at this quote from the article / opening post:

...as a result of his fraudulent actions, namely through money laundering,
an unspecified group of Russian citizens suffered material damage amounting to 750 million rubles...

There is no way they are going to release him if he caused a financial damage to
Russian citizens that is as high as 750 million rubles. It is highly likely that he will be
put to jail for more than a decade.

[veleten]

you would confess to killing president Lincoln and Kennedy if the special agencies get you by the reproductive organs
mind you,he confessed to the fraudulent activities inside of the country ,in Russia
I think he will strike a deal with the prosecution and will be serving some time,but significantly less than he was supposed to
also will "share" some of his stash and fully cooperate in terms of revealing the personal data of the traders etc.

[SectorZero]

you would confess to killing president Lincoln and Kennedy if the special agencies get you by the reproductive organs
mind you,he confessed to the fraudulent activities inside of the country ,in Russia
I think he will strike a deal with the prosecution and will be serving some time,but significantly less than he was supposed to
also will "share" some of his stash and fully cooperate in terms of revealing the personal data of the traders etc.

Vinnik has the large volume of information, it is a lot of people in Russia. Here you hit the point. And In general Russia here not really cunning works. The only thing, we hope that Vinnik won't return to Russia.

[SectorZero]

An interesting twist, and what exactly is written in this recognition Vinnik. Are there any details? Why he decided admission of guilt to the Russian Prosecutor's office, and not the Greeks for example.

Russians don't ever seem to extradite their own no matter how appallingly they've behaved. Perhaps he's hoping to be transferred there somehow? Then again Russian imprisonment doesn't look much fun, that's if they can be bothered to do that. They might let him off for upsetting foreigners.

Presumably the legal types will do anything they can to stop him ending up in Russia.

There is a question why Russia, information on traders urgently was useful? Develop some operation? Or the sum of the laundered money is strongly underestimated? And about the fact that Russia doesn't hand over the - Yes. She sends all unnecessary abroad and there says goodbye to them.

[Mahanton]

No mention of Gox yet? That's the mystery that really intrigues me. Incredible that after all this time so little is still known about it.

It was set up in such a way, almost perfectly done, that there isn't anything other than trail taint they can follow.

In reality, we all have likely been distributing tainted Gox coins, so how exactly can you prove that they are one of the masterminds behind the theft? BTC-E, Bitstamp, Bitfinex, they all are in a similar situation.

The only difference is that BTC-E has always been more open and free for people to sign up and use it solely as mixer. The only limitation was that you can only withdraw 100BTC per day.

That's something you can easily bypass by dumping BTC for LTC and other coins to withdraw them all simultaneously. I think BTC-E can use that as a powerful shield to defend itself. In the end, there is no real proof.

Might bitmixer.io have been involved in this? Their exit from the cryptospace was very perplexing. The owner's final message also sounded like someone was pointing a gun on his head. It was the first and most common observation in the forum.

Same thoughts. I had remembered on how Bitmixer do such exit into this market and same as you said it sounded like theres a gun pointing into their heads which they do decide up to stop their service. Ive been wondering on what would be the upcoming possible scenarios with other Mixers as well in the market. Talking back to the topic, its good to see the trace up with BTC-e fraud and i do have the same questions in mind which do always haunts me when it comes to Mt. Gox mystery.