The United States will transfer cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik to Russian custody in exchange for American citizen Marc Fogel, according to a US official.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Wednesday that a Russian national was freed as part of the exchange for Fogel, who had been detained in Russia since 2021, reports ABC. While he did not name Vinnik, he stated, "This citizen of the Russian Federation will also be returned to Russia in the coming days."
Fogel arrived in the United States on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Vinnik's legal team, Arkady Bukh & Associates, confirmed he remained in US custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
Vinnik, a Russian national, previously operated BTC-e, a cryptocurrency exchange linked to illicit financial activities. The US Department of Justice alleges BTC-e managed over $9 billion in transactions, allowing cybercriminals to launder funds linked to drug trafficking, ransomware schemes, and other criminal deeds.
In 2023, Vinnik pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder billions of dollars. As part of his sentence, he agreed to forfeit $100 million in illicit proceeds. The DOJ also alleged that he was responsible for over $120 million in financial losses.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the exchange as beneficial for the United States: "As part of this exchange, he has forfeited more than $100 million that he obtained in that illegal crime. And in exchange, of course, we got Marc Fogel, who is a middle school teacher who kissed the American soil last night when he returned to the United States of America. It was a great deal. And a great day for our country."
Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017 based on US charges linking him to the 2014 Mt. Gox hack, a breach that affected one of the world's largest Bitcoin exchanges. Prosecutors allege Vinnik laundered stolen funds to obscure his role in the company's collapse.
His legal team has advocated for a prisoner exchange for years, filing a request in 2023 to be released from a protective order so they could push for a swap. "Mr. Vinnik's case is unquestionably one of significant public interest. He has been the subject of political negotiations over a prisoner swap with Russia at the highest levels of the government," his lawyers stated in a court filing.
Before the exchange, Vinnik was held at Alameda County Jail in California, awaiting sentencing in June. However, a federal judge unexpectedly scheduled a status conference on Tuesday, and he was subsequently transferred.
Fogel, a teacher, was officially declared "wrongfully detained" by the US in October 2024. Efforts to include him in a previous prisoner exchange in August 2024—when journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan were freed—were unsuccessful, according to the State Department.
