Website Related to Multi-Billion Dollar Bitfinex Hack Established

            The Department of Justice has established a website to provide any person who claims status as a potential crime victim of the crimes described below to assert any rights under the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA), 18 U.S.C. § 3771, and with the opportunity to complete a statement to relay information about how they may have been harmed by the charged conduct and/or offenses. For CVRA purposes, the government’s position is that there are no “victims” of the offenses of conviction. The Department is providing this notice out of an abundance of caution.

            In August 2016, defendant Ilya Lichtenstein hacked into a virtual currency exchange named Bitfinex and stole approximately 120,000 bitcoin. Following the theft, Defendant Lichtenstein devised a sophisticated plan to launder the stolen funds, involving extensive layering of transactions, cryptocurrency mixers and non-compliant cryptocurrency exchanges, darknet markets, and bank accounts in the U.S., as well as overseas. Defendant Lichtenstein enlisted the assistance of his wife, co-defendant Heather Rhiannon Morgan, to clean the money. Defendant Lichtenstein and Defendant Morgan continued to conspire to launder the funds until February 2022, when federal law enforcement placed them under arrest for being involved in a money laundering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h), and a conspiracy to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371.

            On August 3, 2023, Defendant Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). Defendant Lichtenstein is scheduled to be sentenced on November 14, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 28A, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. On August 3, 2023, Defendant Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371 and § 1956(a)(1)(B)(i), and one count of Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. Defendant Morgan is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2024, at 2:00 p.m., in Courtroom 28A, before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

            As authorized by the U.S. District Court (link to Oct. 10, 2024 PDF opinion here), the United States provides this notice to the public out of an abundance of caution to solicit and receive information from all persons potentially harmed by the defendants’ conduct, including affected accountholders at Bitfinex. The United States welcomes any statements and arguments from such persons, including statements relevant to the Court’s sentencing of the defendants, such as how they have been impacted by the defendants’ conduct.

            If you wish to complete a statement about the impact of the offenses on you and/or to relay information about how you may have been victimized, please send that statement to the United States to be conveyed to the U.S. District Court judge who will make decisions in the case, including by sentencing the defendants. Specifically, please submit a statement by no later than November 13, 2024, via email to USADC.BitfinexHack2016@usdoj.gov. As stated above, the sentencings are currently scheduled for November 14 and 15, 2024.

            Additional information is available on the Department of Justice’s website for large cases, https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/2016-bitfinex-hack. 

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