Hackread reports that Russians Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov have been indicted for allegedly leading the operations of cryptocurrency mixing firms Blender.io and Sinbad.io, which provided cryptocurrency laundering services to North Korean hacking collective Lazarus Group.
After spearheading Blender.io that offered anonymity and user transaction data deletion services until its disruption by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control in 2022, Ostapenko and Oleynik — who were apprehended last month — and Tarasov — who remains on the run — proceeded to operate the similar Sinbad.io, which was sanctioned by the Treasury Department in November 2023. With charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, Ostapenko, Oleynik, and Tarasov could be jailed for up to 20 years if found guilty. "This case shows the power of working together across borders to fight cybercrime," said a spokesperson for the FBI.
