Russian trio charged in crypto mixer money laundering case
The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted three Russian nationals for operating sanctioned crypto mixers allegedly used by North Korean criminals.
Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov have been charged with money laundering in connection with crypto mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io, according to the DOJ.
Blender operated for four years, from 2018 to 2022, before U.S. authorities shut down its site. Sinbad emerged as a replacement after Blender’s closure, but federal investigators also targeted its platform.
Brent S. Wible, a Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the DOJ, stated that the defendants created “safe havens” for criminals to…
