U.S. authorities charged Irina Dilkinska, formerly head of legal and compliance at OneCoin, for her role in the notorious crypto scam and deported her from Bulgaria to the U.S.
She could have been sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for wire fraud and an additional 20 years for alleged breaches of money laundering laws. In a recent press release, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Dilkinska will appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams claims the 41-year-old Bulgarian allegedly allowed crypto pyramid scheme OneCoin to launder millions of dollars in illicit profits through shell companies.
"Dirginska helped implement a wide-ranging scheme that resulted in millions of victims and billions of dollars in damages, and she will now face justice for her alleged crimes," he added.
FBI Assistant Director Michael Driscoll insists that she helped her co-conspirator — Mark Scott — launder nearly $400 million in OneCoin proceeds. Furthermore, upon learning of Scott's arrest, she burned key documents and sent incriminating messages to Konstantin Ignatov. Some of the text officials allegedly saw read: "SEE THIS!!!!!!;" "THIS IS ACCIDENT!!!!!!" "IF THIS IS TRUE, I NEED THE SUPER LAWYERS [ACCIPLE FRANK SCHNEIDER] ARE TALKING!!!"
The DOJ further stated that Dilkinska managed a property belonging to the head of OneCoin Ruja Ignatova (better known as “Cryptoqueen”). Following her extradition to the United States, the Bulgarian was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. If convicted on both counts, she could serve up to 40 years in federal prison.
Gilbert Armenta - Ruja Ignatova's ex-boyfriend - also recently faced trial. The Southern District of New York (SDNY) court sentenced him to five years in prison for laundering $300 million in OneCoin fraudulent proceeds. Despite the recent arrests of many people associated with OneCoin, the whereabouts of the scheme's leaders remain unknown.
Multiple reports suggest that Ignatova was last seen in Athens, Greece, in 2017, where she may be hiding on a luxury yacht in the Mediterranean. The theory sounds plausible, as authorities do not have the power to detain people more than 12 nautical miles from shore.
Recent sources in Bulgaria have suggested that the "Crypto Queen" may have been brutally murdered in November 2018. Acting on behalf of a local drug lord (connected to her scam), the killer allegedly chopped up her body and dumped her remains in the Ionian sea.
On the other hand, a nearly $15 million penthouse (bought by Ignatova a few years ago) resurfaced on the London real estate market earlier this year, suggesting she might still be alive.
