Bitcoin Hacker Ilya Lichtenstein Credits Trump for Early Release
▼ Summary
– Hacker Ilya Lichtenstein has been released from prison early, crediting his release to President Trump’s First Step Act.
– The First Step Act is a 2018 criminal justice reform law that expands options for early release, such as earned time credits.
– Lichtenstein was originally sentenced to five years for his role in the theft of billions in Bitcoin from the 2016 Bitfinex hack.
– His wife and accomplice, Heather Morgan, was also charged and sentenced but was released early as well, announcing it in October.
– The couple, arrested in 2022, have become the subjects of a Netflix docuseries and an upcoming film.
A prominent figure in one of the largest cryptocurrency heists in history is now a free man, crediting a specific piece of federal legislation for his early release. Ilya Lichtenstein, sentenced to five years for his role in the multi-billion dollar Bitcoin theft from the Bitfinex exchange, announced his release on social media. In his statement, he directly thanked former President Donald Trump, attributing his newfound freedom to the First Step Act. This 2018 criminal justice reform law, a signature achievement of the Trump administration, created pathways for eligible inmates to earn time credits and secure early release from prison.
An official from the Trump administration confirmed the development, noting to financial news outlets that Lichtenstein had served a substantial portion of his sentence and was now on home confinement. This transition aligns with the policies established by the Bureau of Prisons under the statute. The hacker’s wife, Heather Morgan, who gained notoriety under the rap persona “Razzlekhan,” responded to his announcement with a celebratory photo. Morgan was also implicated in the elaborate scheme to launder the stolen Bitcoin, receiving an 18-month sentence. She herself was released ahead of schedule last fall, a fact she famously disclosed in a social media post from her bathtub.
The couple’s arrest in 2022 brought a dramatic end to years of investigation into the 2016 Bitfinex hack. Their story, blending high-tech crime with eccentric personal branding, has captured significant public interest. It has since been chronicled in a Netflix documentary series and is slated to be the subject of a forthcoming feature film. Lichtenstein concluded his announcement by expressing a commitment to contributing positively to the field of cybersecurity as he moves forward.
(Source: The Verge)
