Prosecutors are recommending a lighter sentence of 60 months for Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker who orchestrated one of the largest bitcoin thefts in history. In a filing, they acknowledged Lichtenstein’s substantial assistance in retrieving a portion of the stolen bitcoin and unraveling the sophisticated money laundering operation that followed the theft. The original sentencing guidelines suggested a longer prison term, but the government has requested a downward departure due to his cooperation. They did the same for his wife Heather Morgan.

Bitfinex hackers Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan.

Lichtenstein stole nearly 120,000 bitcoin from the Bitfinex exchange in August 2016. After gaining unauthorized access to the exchange’s security systems, he transferred the funds into a personal wallet. For years, Lichtenstein and his wife, Morgan, laundered the funds using a variety of techniques, including complex layering of transactions and the use of darknet markets and cryptocurrency mixers. Their scheme went undetected until their arrest in February 2022.

In August 2023, Lichtenstein pled guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges. Prosecutors now argue that his detailed cooperation, which has led to the recovery of significant assets, justifies a reduced sentence. Lichtenstein’s sentencing, scheduled for Nov. 14, 2024, will set a precedent for how cooperation can impact sentencing in high-profile cryptocurrency crimes. Despite cooperating, former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison did not benefit significantly during the FTX trial.

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