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Another prisoner exchange under the "9 for 9" formula is being prepared between Russia and the United States. The other day, human rights activist Ivan Melnikov named the Russians who are in the United States and could be included in the exchange.
Four of them are defendants in criminal cases involving digital crimes:
- Anatoly Legkodymov, the founder of the Bitzlato crypto exchanger, was detained in Miami in January 2023 and charged with participating in illegal money transfers and money laundering in the amount of more than $700 million. At the same time, the French authorities confiscated the crypto exchanger's website. In December 2023, Legkodymov pleaded guilty, and in July 2024 he was sentenced to 1.5 years - that is, to the time already spent in prison while the trial was ongoing. There was no other news about his fate, but if he has not become a defendant in another case, then he should have been free for almost a year;
— Vladimir Dunaev — was arrested in the Republic of Korea and extradited to the United States in 2021 as a defendant in the case of the group that used Trickbot. In late 2023, he pleaded guilty to computer and financial crimes. In January 2024, he was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison;
— Rostislav Panev — a citizen of Russia and Israel, whom the United States accuses of involvement in the development of the LockBit ransomware program. Panev was arrested in Haifa in August 2024 and extradited to the United States in March;
— Alexander Zhukov — arrested in Bulgaria in 2018, extradited to the United States in 2019, where in 2021 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of almost $ 4 million for fraudulent use of the Methbot botnet to boost online ad views.
Ivan Melnikov described the people on his list as people "who can be good businessmen in Russia and bring great benefit to our society."
The other five people he named (4 Russian citizens and a Belarusian citizen) are involved in cases related to circumventing sanctions.
This is not an official list, but Melnikov can be considered an informed source, since back in August he noted that one of the founders of BTC-e, Alexander Vinnik (who was exchanged in February), and Artur Petrov, who was accused of supplying American microelectronics in circumvention of sanctions (who was exchanged in April), could return to Russia.
Four of them are defendants in criminal cases involving digital crimes:
- Anatoly Legkodymov, the founder of the Bitzlato crypto exchanger, was detained in Miami in January 2023 and charged with participating in illegal money transfers and money laundering in the amount of more than $700 million. At the same time, the French authorities confiscated the crypto exchanger's website. In December 2023, Legkodymov pleaded guilty, and in July 2024 he was sentenced to 1.5 years - that is, to the time already spent in prison while the trial was ongoing. There was no other news about his fate, but if he has not become a defendant in another case, then he should have been free for almost a year;
— Vladimir Dunaev — was arrested in the Republic of Korea and extradited to the United States in 2021 as a defendant in the case of the group that used Trickbot. In late 2023, he pleaded guilty to computer and financial crimes. In January 2024, he was sentenced to 5 years and 4 months in prison;
— Rostislav Panev — a citizen of Russia and Israel, whom the United States accuses of involvement in the development of the LockBit ransomware program. Panev was arrested in Haifa in August 2024 and extradited to the United States in March;
— Alexander Zhukov — arrested in Bulgaria in 2018, extradited to the United States in 2019, where in 2021 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and a fine of almost $ 4 million for fraudulent use of the Methbot botnet to boost online ad views.
Ivan Melnikov described the people on his list as people "who can be good businessmen in Russia and bring great benefit to our society."
The other five people he named (4 Russian citizens and a Belarusian citizen) are involved in cases related to circumventing sanctions.
This is not an official list, but Melnikov can be considered an informed source, since back in August he noted that one of the founders of BTC-e, Alexander Vinnik (who was exchanged in February), and Artur Petrov, who was accused of supplying American microelectronics in circumvention of sanctions (who was exchanged in April), could return to Russia.
