Moscow court sentences former Russian detective for Bitcoin bribery to 16 years in prison in Russia's largest cryptocurrency bribery case

A Russian court has sentenced Marat Tambiev, a former top detective in the Russian Investigative Committee, to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony after convicting him of accepting over 1,000 Bitcoin in bribes from members of the Infraud Organization, an international cybercrime group specializing in credit card fraud. The sentence marks one of the most significant bribery cases in Russian legal history, involving cryptocurrency as the medium for illicit payments.

Tambiev’s Bribery and the Infraud Organization

The Balashikha City Court, located in the Moscow Oblast, found that Tambiev, along with his assistant Kristina Lyakhovenko, accepted a bribe of 1,032 Bitcoin from Infraud Organization members.

Tambiev was allegedly bribed in exchange for not confiscating the gang's illicit Bitcoin holdings. As part of the deal, he also falsified evidence and used his influence to keep the group members under house arrest rather than in detention.

Tambiev during his time as a detective of the Investigative Committee

The court sentenced Lyakhovenko to nine years in a general penal colony for her involvement in falsifying evidence and accepting bribes. Both Tambiev and Lyakhovenko were stripped of their ranks and banned from holding public positions for several years.

A High-Profile Bitcoin Bribery Case

Legal experts in Russia have called the case “the largest bribe in modern Russian history,” highlighting how cryptocurrency is increasingly becoming a tool for corruption and financial crimes.

The Infraud Organization, which operated between 2010 and 2018, was a global cybercrime network involved in "carding," or credit card fraud.

Tambiev and Lyakhovenko's involvement began when they allegedly struck deals with Infraud members to protect the group from criminal prosecution, agreeing to spare their Bitcoin holdings in exchange for massive bribes.

Uncovering the ‘Bitcoin Pension Fund’

The investigation revealed that Tambiev had hidden the private keys to his Bitcoin stash on a work computer, in a folder labeled "Pension." Investigators eventually seized 5,212 BTC, leading to further revelations of how the bribery was conducted.

Prosecutors also stated that Tambiev and Lyakhovenko split the bribe proceeds, with Tambiev receiving part of the illegal Bitcoin assets in April 2022.

The court heard that Tambiev’s corruption extended to manipulating investigations, including a criminal case against burglars who had targeted one of the Infraud members.

His involvement with the Infraud Organization was facilitated by a lawyer, Roman Meyer, who represented several Infraud members and helped coordinate the Bitcoin payments.

Rising Cryptocurrency Crimes in Russia

As Bitcoin and altcoin use continues to grow, Russian legal experts predict an increase in similar cases involving digital assets. The Tambiev case sets a significant precedent in how Russian authorities handle financial crimes involving cryptocurrencies.

This conviction marks a pivotal moment in Russian legal history, not only because of the scale of the bribery but also because it demonstrates how cryptocurrency is increasingly being used in criminal enterprises.

Both Tambiev and Lyakhovenko now face long sentences in Russian penal colonies, while legal experts warn of more cryptocurrency-related prosecutions in the near future.