Billion-dollar Bitcoin hacker Ilya Lichtenstein thanks Trump for early prison release


Just over a year after being sentenced to five years in prison for the theft of billions of dollars in Bitcoin, hacker Ilya Lichtenstein is free. Lichtenstein announced his release in a post on X, specifically crediting Trump: “Thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, I have been released from prison early. I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can.”

The First Step Act Lichtenstein referenced is a criminal justice reform bill passed in 2018 during the first Trump administration and expands options for early release, such as earned time credits. A Trump administration official confirmed the early release in a statement to CNBC, claiming that Lichtenstein “has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies.”

Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather Morgan, replied to his announcement post with a photo of the two of them. Morgan, who some might know as the infamous rapper “Razzlekhan” or “the Crocodile of Wall Street,” was also charged for the scheme to launder billions of dollars worth of Bitcoin stolen in the 2016 hack of crypto exchange Bitfinex. She was only sentenced to 18 months in prison, but was also apparently released early, a development she announced from her bathtub in a post on X in October. Morgan and Lichtenstein weren’t arrested for the hack until 2022. The duo have since become the subject of a Netflix docuseries and an upcoming film.



Source link

  • Related Posts

    The Mad Scramble to Power AI Is Rewiring the US Grid

    Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you’re likely aware that AI has a major energy problem. And as AI companies scramble to source power for their ever-expanding fleet…

    Google’s Latest Enticement for Its AI Pro Plan: 5TB of Cloud Storage

    Google is sweetening the deal for those who might want to upgrade their plans to use more AI features. The company’s mid-tier AI Pro plan, which costs $20 a month,…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    B.C. Premier David Eby temporarily replaces spokesperson with identical twin

    B.C. Premier David Eby temporarily replaces spokesperson with identical twin

    The Mad Scramble to Power AI Is Rewiring the US Grid

    The Mad Scramble to Power AI Is Rewiring the US Grid

    Air Jordan 5 Retro ‘White Metallic’ Release Date HQ7978-103

    Air Jordan 5 Retro ‘White Metallic’ Release Date HQ7978-103

    Don’t know if you’ve seen anything about this, but…

    Higher social media use linked to lower support for democracy, poll shows

    Higher social media use linked to lower support for democracy, poll shows

    Women less likely than men to have access to flexible work arrangements: survey

    Women less likely than men to have access to flexible work arrangements: survey