Three Russian nationals, Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov, have been charged by a U.S. federal grand jury for their roles in running cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io.
These platforms allegedly facilitated money laundering for cybercriminals, including ransomware attackers and hackers linked to state-sponsored groups.
According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, the mixers enabled users to conceal the origins of stolen cryptocurrency, undermining both public safety and national security. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible stated that these services provided a “safe haven” for criminals by obscuring transactions tied to virtual currency theft, ransomware, and wire fraud.
Blender.io, operational from 2018 to 2022, advertised itself as a privacy-first service with a “no logs” policy, claiming it did not store user information or require registration. After its shutdown, Sinbad.io launched, continuing to offer similar services until its dismantling in November 2023. Both platforms were sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for laundering funds, including those linked to North Korean state-sponsored hacking activities.
Ostapenko, 55, faces multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Oleynik, 44, and Tarasov, 32, face similar charges. While Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested in December 2024, Tarasov remains at large.
The FBI led the investigation, with critical support from law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands, Australia, and Finland. Prosecutors emphasized the importance of international collaboration in dismantling the infrastructure used by cybercriminals.
This development follows rising concerns over Russia’s ties to cryptocurrency-related crimes, as Thai authorities hunt for two Russian nationals after a violent assault in Phuket. The attack targeted a 31-year-old Russian crypto investor over a $120,000 debt. Police reports allege the primary suspect, Andrei, demanded access to the victim’s crypto wallet, threatening death. When refused, the victim was assaulted and robbed of $20,000 in cash, then left bound in a hotel bathroom. While one suspect fled to Dubai, Andrei remains at large in Thailand.
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