Authorities Seized More Than $3.6 Billion From Couple Who Allegedly Laundered Stolen Bitfinex Currency

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The Justice Department announced it had seized more than $3.6 billion in bitcoin allegedly stolen as part of a 2016 hack of cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, the largest financial seizure in the Department’s history. Authorities arrested a husband and wife in New York, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, for allegedly trying to launder the cryptocurrency fortune. They are accused of attempting to launder 119,754 bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex and initiated more than 2,000 unauthorized transactions.

The couple tried to hide their tracks using more than 2,000 transactions using computer programs to rapidly automate bitcoin movements and deposits to try to conceal their origin, with some of the funds eventually landing in financial accounts tied to the couple.

They face charges relating to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the U.S. but no charges related to the hack of Bitfinex. Only about 94,000 of the roughly 119,754 stolen bitcoin were recovered, worth no…