The U.S. State Division on Wednesday introduced a $5 million reward for info resulting in the arrest or conviction of alleged cryptocurrency fraudster Ruja Ignatova. Picture by the FBI
June 26 (UPI) — The U.S. State Division is providing a $5 million reward for info that results in the arrest or conviction of alleged cryptocurrency fraudster Ruja Ignatova.
The State Division introduced the reward in an online news release and describes Ignatova, 42, as a participant in “one of many largest world fraud schemes in historical past.”
Promoting
The so-called “cryptoqueen” is on the FBI’s Ten Most Wished Fugitives record and is accused of collaborating in a world cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
Federal investigators say Ignatova co-founded OneCoinLtd. whereas dwelling in Bulgaria in 2014.
Since then, Ignatova and her cohorts allegedly defrauded traders by making false statements about OneCoin’s worth as a cryptocurrency.
Federal investigators say Ignatova and others defrauded traders of $4 billion by 2017.
The U.S. Court docket for the Southern District of New York on Oct. 12, 2017, indicted Ignatova and charged her with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and conspiracy to commit cash laundering.
Federal investigators says Ignatova left Sofia, Bulgaria, for Athens, Greece, to evade arrest two weeks after the federal indictment in New York.
She has been a fugitive since then.
The federal court docket in February 2018 issued a superseding indictment charging Ignatova with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and securities fraud, along with the opposite federal costs in opposition to her.
Prosecutors in Germany even have charged Ignatova with crimes associated to the alleged fraud scheme.
The FBI added her to its most wished record in 2022 and is providing a $100,000 reward for info resulting in her arrest.
