The UK has issued a global asset freeze targeting the elusive cryptoqueen, Ruja Ignatova, who is the mastermind behind the notorious OneCoin scam. This freeze order was initiated following a lawsuit by a group of OneCoin investors seeking compensation for their substantial financial losses. The legal action is being spearheaded by the law firm Mishcon de Reya, with Jennifer McAdam, one of the defrauded investors, leading the charge.
The asset freeze extends beyond Ignatova herself, affecting several individuals and entities associated with her. Businessmen Robert MacDonald and Christopher Hamilton are also subject to this freeze, as are two Guernsey-based companies involved in real estate transactions linked to Ignatova. Additionally, several prominent OneCoin promoters, including Kari Wahlroos, Muhammad Zafar, Moynul Islam, and Monirul Islam, will also face the consequences of this action.
Ignatova's Criminal Charges and Disappearance
Ruja Ignatova has been facing charges since 2017, which include wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and securities fraud. Despite the charges, Ignatova has remained at large, with no concrete information about her whereabouts. Her disappearance has fueled speculation, with some believing she may have been murdered by a Bulgarian mob, while others think she might still be alive and in hiding.
FBI Increases Bounty for Ignatova
The FBI has intensified its efforts to locate Ignatova by increasing the bounty for information leading to her capture. Initially, a reward of $100,000 was offered, but this has now been raised to $5 million (or 4 million Euros), under the U.S. Department of State’s Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program. The FBI has revealed that Ignatova might be using a German passport, which could allow her to travel freely within the UAE and Europe. Her last known movement was from Sofia, Bulgaria, to Athens, Greece, in 2017. There are also speculations that she may have undergone plastic surgery to evade detection.
Sentencing of OneCoin Co-Founder
In a related development, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, the co-founder of OneCoin, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a U.S. court in September 2023. Greenwood, who pled guilty to money laundering and wire fraud charges in December 2022, played a pivotal role in the OneCoin scam as the global master distributor and head of the MLM network that managed the distribution of OneCoin. His monthly earnings from the scam were estimated at 20 million Euros.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Damian Williams of the Southern District of New York, with U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos imposing the sentence along with a $300 million forfeiture. The investigation leading to Greenwood’s conviction was a collaborative effort involving the FBI, IRS-Criminal Investigation, and other international law enforcement agencies, including the Royal Thai Police and Thailand’s Office of the Attorney General.
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