- A senior lawyer caught in the middle of OneCoin crypto fraud pleaded guilty.
- OneCoin allegedly swindled billions of dollars worldwide.
- The lawyer risks several years in prison upon sentencing.
“The wheels of justice turn slowly but grind fine.” This quote is especially true in the $4 billion OneCoin crypto scam scandal. While the scheme’s mastermind, Cryptoqueen Ruja Ignatova, remains at large, her lieutenants are not so lucky.
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Hardly two months after OneCoin co-founder Sebastian Greenwood was sentenced to 20 years in prison, the project’s “Head of Legal and Compliance” pleaded guilty to two criminal counts in Manhattan federal court.
OneCoin Chief Counsel Pleads Guilty
In a press release dated November 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, announced that Irina Dilkinska, a former head of compliance at OneCoin, pled guilty to fraud and money laundering charges.
Dilkinska, a 42-year-old Bulgarian, entered the guilty plea to acknowledge her involvement in the massive OneCoin fraud scheme, which the prosecutors allege swindled over $4 billion worldwide through a global multi-level-marketing (“MLM”) network.
“As she has now admitted, Dilkinska facilitated the laundering of millions of dollars of illicit profits OneCoin accrued through its multi-level-marketing scheme. The dedicated prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue this important case until every defendant is brought to justice, USA Damian Williams said.
Per the statement, Dilkinska was part of OneCoin’s day-to-day operations, and money laundering was part of her job. On one occasion, she arranged a transfer of $110 million in fraudulently obtained OneCoin proceeds to a Cayman Islands entity.
Following the guilty plea, which U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos accepted, Dilkinska risks years behind bars upon sentencing.
Sentencing
Dilkinska’s sentencing is scheduled for February 14, 2024, before Judge Ramos. The embattled attorney risks up to a decade behind bars, given that wire fraud and money laundering counts each carry a maximum potential sentence of five years in prison.
As for the remaining culprit, Ignatova, her whereabouts remain unknown. The prosecutors urged the public to contact the FBI or any U.S. Embassy with information on her location.
Read more about a OneCoin lawyer who recently lost his appeal:
OneCoin Lawyer Loses Appeal in $400M Money Laundering Case
Stay updated on why Ruja Ignatova is on the FBI’s Top 10 Most Wanted List:
Cryptoqueen Makes FBI Top 10 Most Wanted List Over $4 Billion ‘OneCoin’ Fraud