Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian nationwide and former CEO of cryptocurrency trade Bitzlato, reportedly requested a federal pardon from US President Donald Trump after a 2023 responsible plea and serving 18 months in jail.
In accordance with a Friday report from the Russian state media outlet TASS, Legkodymov’s authorized group formally requested Trump for a presidential pardon after he pleaded responsible to working an unlicensed cash transmitting enterprise. Legkodymov was indicted in January 2023, pleaded responsible in December, and was sentenced to time served in July 2024 after being in custody for about 18 months.
“Anatoly […] turned a goal in a political marketing campaign in opposition to the crypto market and gifted Russian programmers,” mentioned Ivan Melnikov, vice chairman of the Russian department of the Worldwide Committee for Human Rights, based on TASS. “His choice to ask for a pardon is predicated on the hope that the US will return to a extra balanced and truthful strategy to digital finance.”
In accordance with his indictment, Legkodymov was a part of an operation that facilitated the transmission of illicit funds via his position at Bitzlato. US authorities alleged that a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} flowed from Bitzlato to the darkish internet Hydra Market, and the trade obtained about $15 million related to ransomware assaults.
Associated: Binance founder CZ Zhao requested Trump to pardon cash laundering conviction
French authorities had been reportedly making an attempt to extradite Legkodymov to face related expenses after his time within the US. It’s unclear if Trump has obtained the pardon request or whether or not he’ll act on it.
Cointelegraph reached out to the White Home for remark however had not obtained a response on the time of publication.
Pardons for crypto business figures who pleaded responsible or had been convicted
Since taking workplace in January, Trump has issued no less than 58 presidential pardons. Amongst them had been Silk Highway founder Ross Ulbricht, who had been going through two life sentences in federal jail, and 4 former executives of cryptocurrency trade BitMEX: Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Gregory Dwyer and Samuel Reed.
Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao mentioned in Could that he had utilized for a pardon from Trump. Zhao pleaded responsible to at least one felony cost in November 2023 as a part of a deal between US authorities and Binance. He served 4 months in jail.
Reviews have steered that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was additionally making an attempt to safe a federal pardon from Trump by talking on conservative information retailers and distancing himself from the Democratic Social gathering. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 2024 and was housed on the Federal Correctional Establishment in Terminal Island as of Friday.
Journal: Trump’s crypto ventures increase battle of curiosity, insider buying and selling questions
