US State Department Ups Bounty to $5M for OneCoin Founder's Capture
Summary:
The US State Department has increased its reward to $5 million for information leading to the capture and conviction of OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova, who disappeared in 2017. US authorities, including the FBI, have been seeking Ignatova for her role in the fraudulent crypto scheme OneCoin, which defrauded investors of roughly $4 billion. Despite previously increasing the bounty and issuing a federal warrant, Ignatova remains at large.
The U.S. State Department has ramped up its bounty for information leading to the capture and successful prosecution of Ruja Ignatova, the founder of OneCoin. According to the refreshed "ten most wanted fugitives" list by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the State Department is prepared to give $5 million for critical data about Ignatova's location that results in her arrest and conviction. The last confirmed sighting of the OneCoin founder was in Athens in October 2017. Ignatova made her appearance on the FBI’s most wanted list in June 2022, with a bounty of $100,000 which was later increased to $250,000 in 2023. Despite these efforts, Ignatova remained elusive. It was noted by the FBI that she carries a German passport and might have gone under the knife or made changes to her appearance. She made the FBI’s top ten wanted list due to charges of fraudulent activities and money laundering brought in 2017, with a warrant out for her arrest. A simultaneous declaration was made by the U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, H.E. Kenneth Merten, and Bulgaria’s Interim Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov on June 26, stating Ignatova would be indicted in absentia. OneCoin, established in 2014, was unmasked as a criminal crypto scheme in 2015, defrauding investors of nearly $4 billion. Several people associated with the scheme have faced criminal charges in the U.S., including Ignatova’s partner, Gilbert Armenta, lawyer Mark Scott, former compliance and legal head Irina Dilkinska, co-founder Karl Sebastian Greenwood, and William Morro. Ignatova’s sibling, Konstantin Ignatov, admitted to fraud and money laundering accusations in 2019 linked to his part in the OneCoin scam. After serving 34 months in prison, he was set free in March 2024.
Published At
6/26/2024 10:25:00 PM
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