Photo: youtube
The cryptocurrency was allegedly stolen during the 2016 hack of Bitfinex, a virtual currency exchange.
The news release states that, according to court documents, Morgan, 31, and Lichtenstein, 34, allegedly conspired to “launder the proceeds of 119,754 bitcoin” that were stolen from the Bitfinex hack, in which a hacker “initiated more than 2,000 unauthorized transactions.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
RELATED VIDEO: Man Who Forgot Bitcoin Password Makes ‘Peace’ with $220 Million Loss: ‘Time Heals All Wounds’
“Today, federal law enforcement demonstrates once again that we can follow money through the blockchain, and that we will not allow cryptocurrency to be a safe haven for money laundering or a zone of lawlessness within our financial system,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The arrests today show that we will take a firm stand against those who allegedly try to use virtual currencies for criminal purposes.”
In addition to being an aspiring rapper — some of herYouTube songs and videosinclude “Female Tech CEO Shuts Down Creeps” and “Social Distance” — Morgan is described as a “serial entrepreneur, SaaS Investor, Surrealist Artist & Fashion Designer with synesthesia,” and also a “Forbes writer,” according toher bio on a verified Twitter account.
Morgan served as a contributor toForbesfrom 2017 to 2021. According to an editor’s note inForbes, the publication “ended the relationship” in September 2021, and Morgan was “never an employee.”
“Morgan is the co-founder and CEO of Endpass, which uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate identity verification while proactively detecting fraud,“according to her author pagebio. “When she’s not reverse-engineering black markets to think of better ways to combat fraud and cybercrime, she enjoys rapping and designing streetwear fashion.”
According to aLinkedInprofile that appears to belong to Lichtenstein, he is the founder of Endpass, “a blockchain startup solving problems in decentralized identity and authentication,” and is interested in “big data.”
source: people.com
