Alexander Vinnik Exchanged And Returned To Russia

According to PANews, Alexander Vinnik, the former operator of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange BTC-e, has been returned to Russia as part of a prisoner exchange with the United States. The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Vinnik arrived in Moscow on February 13, landing at Vnukovo International Airport after flying from Istanbul, Turkey. His release was part of an exchange for U.S. teacher Marc Fogel, who was sent back to the United States on February 11. Vinnik, a Russian national, was arrested in Greece in 2017 and extradited to the United States in August 2022. In May 2024, he admitted to conspiring to launder money while operating BTC-e from 2011 to 2017.