- Ilya Lichtenstein, mastermind of the 2016 Bitfinex hack, was released early under the First Step Act
- He and wife Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan stole 120,000 bitcoin, laundered funds and were arrested in 2022
- Both credited President Trump’s legislation for their early release, celebrating the reunion after years of separation
Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker who served prison time for breaking into crypto exchange Bitfinex and stealing millions of dollars worth of bitcoins, was released early from prison. In a short tweet posted on X, Lichtenstein thanked US President Donald Trump for his early release:
“Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I have been released early from prison. I remain committed to making a positive impact on cybersecurity as soon as I can,” Lichtenstein said. “To the supporters, thanks for everything. To the haters, I look forward to proving you wrong.”
Lichtenstein is a Russian-born American citizen who was behind the 2016 Bitfinex hack, widely considered one of the biggest crypto heists of all time. He and his wife, Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan, stole nearly 120,000 bitcoin from the exchange and then spent years laundering the funds through complex chains of wallets, darknet markets, mixers and fake identities.
First stage act
The pair were arrested in 2022 after investigators traced parts of the stolen crypto. Lichtenstein later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and related charges, admitting that he was the technical architect of both the hack and the money laundering operation. Both served prison terms, with Lichtenstein getting five years and Morgan 18 months.
The First Step Act is an American law, passed in 2018, whose goal is to reduce prison sentences and encourage rehabilitation. It allows certain inmates to earn time credits for good behavior and for completing approved programs such as education, job training or drug treatment, which can be redeemed for shorter sentences and home detention.
Lichtenstein’s wife, Morgan, was also released early through the same legislation and gave a “shoutout to Papa Trump” for her early release. Celebrating her husband’s release, she said: “The best New Year’s gift I could get was to finally have my husband home after 4 years of separation.”
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