- Ilya Lichtenstein, Mastermind of 2016 Bitfinex Hack, Released Early Under First Step Act
- He and his wife Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan stole 120,000 bitcoins, laundered funds, and were arrested in 2022.
- Both attributed their early release to President Trump’s legislation, celebrating their reunion after years apart.
Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker serving time in prison for breaking into cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex and stealing millions of dollars worth of bitcoin, has been released early from prison. In a short tweet posted on X, Lichtenstein thanked US President Donald Trump for his early release:
“Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I was released from prison early. I remain committed to making a positive impact on cybersecurity as soon as I can,” Lichtenstein said. “To the fans, thank you for everything. To the haters, I hope to prove you wrong.”
Lichtenstein is a Russian-born American citizen who was behind the 2016 Bitfinex hack, widely considered one of the largest cryptocurrency thefts in history. He and his wife, Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan, stole nearly 120,000 bitcoins from the exchange and then spent years laundering the funds through complex wallet chains, darknet markets, mixers and fake identities.
Law of the first step
The couple was arrested in 2022 after investigators traced parts of the stolen cryptocurrency. Lichtenstein later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and related charges, admitting that he was the technical architect behind both the hack and the laundering operation. Both were serving prison sentences: Lichtenstein received five years and Morgan 18 months.
The First Step Act is a US law, passed in 2018, which aims to reduce prison sentences and promote rehabilitation. It allows certain inmates to earn time credits for good behavior and for completing approved programs such as education, job training or drug treatment, which can be redeemed for shorter sentences and home confinement.
Lichtenstein’s wife, Morgan, was also released early through the same legislation, and she gave a “shout out to Papa Trump” for her early release. Celebrating her husband’s release, she said, “The best New Year’s gift I could have received was to finally have my husband home after 4 years of being apart.”
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