A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted three Russian nationals for their alleged roles in operating crypto mixers Blender.io and Sinbad.io — tools used to launder funds tied to cybercrime, including ransomware and virtual currency thefts.
Indictment published Jan. 10 charges Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko with conspiring to launder money and running unlicensed money transfer businesses.
Ostapenko & Oleynik have been arrested as of Dec. 1, 2020. Tarasov has not been captured.
The authorities claim that Blender.io, and Sinbad.io facilitate illicit transactions through the masking of cryptocurrency obtained from criminal activity. Both platforms are heavily used, according to the indictment. They were primarily utilized by hacking groups sponsored by governments and cybercriminals.
The statement is:
“By allegedly operating these mixers, the defendants made it easier for cybercriminals to profit from offenses that threaten public safety and national security.”
Blender.io will be operational between 2018 and 2022. “No Logs Policy”The company boasted of the fact that no user information was required.
Sinbad.io followed the same practices as Blender.io. Sinbad.io was shut down by the FBI in November 2023, along with its international partners.
Both platforms were eventually sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for laundering funds for state-sponsored hacking groups, including North Korea’s.
The defendants could face up to 20-years in prison if convicted of money laundering conspiracy, and five additional years for operating an illegal money transfer business.
In this case, the contribution of law enforcement agencies in Australia, Finland, the Netherlands and Finland shows the strength of international collaboration. The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.
Indictment means an accusation. All defendants will be presumed innocent until they are proven guilty by a judge or jury.
Posted In: US, Crime, Crypto, DeFi, Featured, Legal The Author 
Assad Jafri
AJ has been a journalist for more than a decade, and he’s perfected his craft in many countries. Specialized in financial journalism and now focused on crypto-reporting.
Email @Saajthebard on LinkedIn Editor
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