Security News > 2020 > July > French Trial Sought for Alleged Russian Bitcoin Criminal
Paris prosecutors asked investigating judges on Wednesday to order a criminal trial for Alexander Vinnik, a Russian suspected of money laundering on the bitcoin exchange BTC-e, and who is also wanted by Washington and Moscow.
They have also sought an order for Vinnik's continued detention since his extradition in January from Greece, where he was arrested on an American warrant in 2017, the prosecutor's office told AFP. Vinnik, 40, operated the BTC-e exchange until his arrest at the northern Greek tourist resort of Halkidiki, which set off a three-way extradition tussle between the United States, France and Russia.
A US indictment accused him of 21 charges ranging from identity theft and facilitating drug trafficking to money laundering.
Vinnik has denied the charges and has sought an extradition to Russia, where he is wanted on lesser fraud charges involving just 9,500 euros.
French prosecutors are seeking a trial for Vinnik on charges of extortion, money laundering and criminal conspiracy.