Cryptohacker who stole 120,000 Bitcoins worth $4.5 billion released
Russian hacker Ilya Lichtenstein thanked Trump for his early release.
Russian hacker Ilya Lichtenstein thanked Trump for his early release.
Ilya Lichtenstein, the Russian-American hacker who stole nearly 120,000 bitcoins from the Bitfinex exchange, has been released from prison early. The 38-year-old programmer said he owes his freedom to the First Step Act, a prison reform law signed by Donald Trump, according to CNBC.
In November 2024, Lichtenstein was sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering, but he spent significantly less time behind bars.
"Thanks to President Trump's First Step Act, I was fired early," the hacker announced his dismissal on the X network,
He plans to use his experience to “make a positive impact in the cybersecurity field.” A Trump administration official confirmed to reporters that Lichtenstein has served a significant portion of his sentence (including time in custody since 2022) and is now under house arrest in accordance with Bureau of Prisons policy.
The hacker's wife, Heather Morgan, also known as the eccentric rapper Razzlekhan, did not hide her emotions about the reunion. She posted a selfie with her husband, calling his return home after four years of separation "the best New Year's gift."
Morgan, who was sentenced to 18 months for helping to launder stolen money, was also released early in October. At that time, she recorded a bathtub video in which she thanked “Papa Trump” for reducing her sentence.
More details about the $4.5 billion scam and the story of the couple were previously told by dev.ua: who are Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan ?
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