Former head of legal and compliance for OneCoin's massive fraudulent operation, Irina Dilkinska, has received a four-year prison sentence after admitting to aiding in laundering millions of dollars.
U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos handed down the sentence, along with one month of supervised release, and ordered Dilkinska to forfeit $111 million in restitution, as stated in an April 3 announcement from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Despite Dilkinska's plea to avoid incarceration and return to Bulgaria to care for her young child, Judge Ramos denied the request, emphasizing Dilkinska's understanding of her pivotal role in orchestrating a $4 billion Ponzi scheme. He remarked on her intelligence and responsibility, stating that she should have been aware of the legal repercussions.
Dilkinska had previously pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges on November 10 in Manhattan federal court. Each count carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, potentially leading to a total of 10 years of imprisonment.
This sentencing marks another significant development in the legal pursuit of OneCoin executives involved in the fraudulent scheme. Co-founder Carl Sebastian Greenwood was previously sentenced to 20 years in prison on fraud and money laundering charges, accompanied by a $300 million compensation order.
OneCoin, founded in 2014 by Ruja Ignatova and Greenwood, lured investors with promises of guaranteed returns through its cryptocurrency, "OneCoin." However, investigations later revealed that the company operated as a pyramid scheme, lacking a functional blockchain, and primarily profited by incentivizing investors to recruit new participants.
Despite being exposed as fraudulent in 2015, OneCoin managed to amass over $4.3 billion in revenue and nearly $3 billion in profits between 2014 and 2016.
Ignatova, the co-founder, remains at large since her disappearance in 2017, shortly after a federal arrest warrant was issued. Speculation abounds regarding her fate, with some suggesting she may have been targeted following the 2020 murders of several OneCoin associates in Mexico.
