Russian authorities begin liquidating 1 billion rubles in Bitcoin in landmark bribery case

Russian bailiffs are in the process of liquidating more than 1,032 Bitcoin, worth approximately one billion rubles, seized from Marat Tambiev, a former investigator of the Russian Investigative Committee who was convicted in a high-profile crypto bribery case, TASS reported Thursday.

Tambiev, who previously served as a chief investigator in the Tver District of Moscow, was found guilty of accepting 1,032 BTC as a bribe to protect the interests of Infraud Organization, the hacking group he was investigating.

The former investigator was accused of negotiating a deal with members of this group, where he accepted Bitcoin in exchange for not confiscating their illegally obtained assets.

Authorities found the Bitcoin stash stored on Tambiev’s computer and devices (a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet) during a search of his apartment in Moscow. The Bitcoin was later seized as part of a court ruling by the Nikulinsky Court of Moscow in 2023.

Last October, Tambiev was sentenced to 16 years in prison and fined 500 million rubles (approximately $5.2 million) for his actions. He has also been stripped of his rank and is prohibited from holding any government positions for 12 years following his release.

His former subordinate, Kristina Lyakhovenko, received a 9-year sentence in a general regime penal colony for accepting bribes and other charges. A third defendant, Dmitry Gubin, former deputy head of the investigative department for the Tverskoy District, remains at large.

According to TASS, in addition to the Bitcoin already being seized, the Prosecutor General’s Office filed another lawsuit to seize more of Tambiev’s property, including a motorcycle, real estate, and additional Bitcoin, as they believe he acquired it through illegal means.

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