Ilya Lichtenstein, Bitcoin hacker behind massive crypto theft, credits Trump for early prison release

The Russian-U.S. nationalist who hacked crypto speech Bitfinex and stole astir 120,000 bitcoin said helium has been freed from situation aboriginal acknowledgment to the bipartisan prison-reform instrumentality signed by President Donald Trump.

Ilya Lichtenstein, 38, had been sentenced successful November 2024 to five years successful prison aft pleading blameworthy to a wealth laundering conspiracy complaint and admitting to the hack of crypto assets present valued successful the billions of dollars.

But precocious Thursday night, a station connected Lichtenstein's authoritative X relationship declared, "Thanks to President Trump's First Step Act, I person been released from situation early."

"I stay committed to making a affirmative interaction successful cybersecurity arsenic soon arsenic I can," Lichtenstein's station said.

"To the supporters, convey you for everything. To the haters, I look guardant to proving you wrong."

A Trump medication authoritative told CNBC connected Friday greeting that Lichtenstein "has served important clip connected his condemnation and is presently connected location confinement accordant with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies."

Attorneys for Lichtenstein did not instantly respond to requests for remark connected his release.

Lichtenstein's wife, Heather Morgan — who besides pleaded blameworthy to helping launder the stolen funds — shared Lichtenstein's connection connected her ain X account, saying, "The champion New Years contiguous I could get was yet having my hubby location aft 4 years of being apart."

Morgan's tweet, posted 2 minutes aft Lichtenstein's, included a photograph of the mates smiling for a selfie.

Lichtenstein's condemnation included recognition for clip helium already served successful custody pursuing his apprehension successful 2022, much than 5 years aft Bitfinex was hacked.

As of Friday morning, a hunt for Lichtenstein's sanction utilizing the national government's inmate locator website returned 1 effect showing Lichtenstein is scheduled to beryllium released connected Feb. 9.

The Bureau of Prisons did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.

Morgan, 35, a rapper who releases euphony nether the sanction "Razzlekhan" and besides went by "The Crocodile of Wall Street," was sentenced to 18 months' incarceration soon aft Lichtenstein received his situation sentence.

She entered situation successful February. But connected Oct. 26, Morgan posted a video of herself saying she had been released early.

She besides thanked Trump.

"Why hullo Razzlers, I person missed you," Morgan said successful the clip, successful which she appears successful a bathtub wearing lone a hairsbreadth towel.

"It is precise bully to beryllium back, and I privation to springiness a outcry retired to Papa Trump for making my 18-month condemnation shorter," she said. An email to Morgan's manager was not instantly returned.

Trump signed the First Step Act successful December 2018, during his archetypal statesmanlike term. The authorities aimed to trim the size of the national situation colonisation done a bid of reforms, including by establishing a "a hazard and needs appraisal system" that gives immoderate inmates the accidental of aboriginal merchandise into location confinement.

It is unclear whether Trump oregon the White House had immoderate nonstop engagement successful Lichtenstein oregon Morgan securing an aboriginal situation release. But the announcements from the bitcoin hacker and his woman travel a fig of high-profile cybercrime-related pardons and commutations that person been doled retired by the crypto affable president since his instrumentality to office.

One time aft his inauguration, Trump pardoned Ross Ulbricht, laminitis of the infamous acheronian web marketplace Silk Road.

In October, Trump pardoned Changpeng Zhao, the laminitis of large crypto speech Binance, who had pleaded blameworthy successful 2023 to enabling wealth laundering connected the platform.