Russian Prosecutor Seeks to Seize Nearly $30 Million in Assets from Former Investigator Linked to WEX Cryptocurrency Bribery

According to DL News, Russian prosecutors are seeking to confiscate a significant amount of luxury assets from fugitive former secret service officer Georgy Satyukov. He is accused of receiving $184 million worth of Bitcoin and $30 million worth of Ethereum as bribes from the now-defunct WEX cryptocurrency exchange operators, with investigators identifying $29.6 million in assets related to Satyukov's alleged bribery.

The prosecutors allege that Satyukov used the illicit funds to purchase 13 Russian apartments, several non-residential properties in St. Petersburg, a villa in the UAE, and a million-dollar property in Saratov registered under his brother's name. Additionally, the investigation uncovered two Porsche Cayenne Turbos, seven Patek Philippe watches, and other jewelry worth over $1.3 million, along with over $15 million in cash and foreign currency in family bank accounts.

It is reported that the bribes originated from former WEX exchange system administrator Alexey Ivanov, who allegedly sought Satyukov's help to evade criminal investigation. Satyukov and his former colleague Dmitry Sokolov are currently fugitives, with a Moscow court preparing for their trial in absentia. If convicted, their assets may be seized by the state. WEX took over the trading operations of BTC-e in 2017, after the latter's founder Alexander Vinnik was arrested in Greece on fraud and money laundering charges, leading to its closure. WEX ceased operations in 2018.

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