US Arrests Russian Crypto Entrepreneur
2- 10.06.2025, 9:49
- 3,128
He is accused of creating a cryptocurrency scheme to finance Russian entities.
The United States has arrested Russian crypto entrepreneur Yuri Gugnin, who laundered $500 million and helped Moscow circumvent sanctions, writes Financial Times.
The U.S. federal prosecutor's office has filed serious charges against 38-year-old entrepreneur Gugnin, who, according to investigators, used cryptocurrency platforms to circumvent international sanctions and export control violations in favor of Russian clients. The amount of laundered funds exceeds $500 million, and the volume of all transactions related to his companies Evita Pay and Evita Investments reaches nearly $2 billion.
Gugnin, who moved to the U.S. on a visa for "persons of outstanding ability," organized the scheme through the U.S. financial system. His companies accepted cryptocurrency from customers, mostly from Russia, China and the UAE, converted it into dollars and made transactions to buy electronics, artwork, equipment for Russia's Rosatom and even French yachts.
Separate episodes of the indictment involve illegally exporting U.S. servers and supporting Hong Kong companies already under sanctions. Prosecutors say Gugnin had ties to Russian and Iranian government officials and intelligence officials, raising serious U.S. national security concerns.
He faces 22 charges, each of which could stretch to 30 years in prison. The defense side has not yet provided comment on the case.
Who Yuri Gugnin is
Yuri Gugnin is a 38-year-old cryptocurrency entrepreneur, founder and head of two companies, Evita Pay (Florida) and Evita Investments (Delaware). He moved to the U.S. in 2022 on an O-1A visa designed for individuals with extraordinary abilities.
The U.S. accuses him of organizing a massive scheme to launder money through U.S. banks and exchanges using the cryptocurrency Tether. He is credited with helping Russian clients, including Rosatom, to purchase export-banned US technology such as servers.
The US authorities believe that his crypto project actually functioned as a "secret channel" for the circulation of dirty money and assistance to Russian sanctions structures.
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