Participants Behind BTC-e Arrested and Face U.S. DOJ Money Laundering Charges

Aliaksandr Klimenka, the participant behind defunct digital currency exchange BTC-e, has been arrested and faces charges of money laundering and operating an unlicensed money services business, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a release.The indictment states that Klimenka allegedly took control of BTC-e along with Alexander Vinnik and others, and that Klimenka also controlled technology services firm Soft-FX and financial firm FX Open. laundered proceeds worth more than $4 billion in criminal activity during the early stages of cryptocurrency development from 2011 to 2017, including through ransomware scams, identity theft schemes and drug distribution rings. If convicted on all counts, Klimenka faces up to 25 years in prison.