crime
Bitcoin Thief Walks Free: A Look at Early Release and Crypto Crime
January 3, 2026
A man who played a big role in one of the biggest crypto heists is out of prison early. Ilya Lichtenstein, a Russian-American, was part of the 2016 Bitfinex hack. He and his wife, Heather Morgan, were caught in 2022. Lichtenstein was sentenced to five years but got out early thanks to a law passed b