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Bitfinex Bitcoin Theft Case Hacker Ilya Lichtenstein Released Early
Summary: According to reports, Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker involved in the Bitfinex Bitcoin theft case, announced on X platform that he has been released early, citing the 'First Step Act' signed by US President Trump in 2018, which allows prisoners to receive sentence reductions for participating in rehabilitation programs. Lichtenstein was sentenced to 5 years in ...
According to reports, Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker involved in the Bitfinex Bitcoin theft case, announced on X platform that he has been released early, citing the 'First Step Act' signed by US President Trump in 2018, which allows prisoners to receive sentence reductions for participating in rehabilitation programs. Lichtenstein was sentenced to 5 years in prison in November 2024 for assisting in laundering nearly 120,000 bitcoins (valued at around $4.5 billion at the time of the crime). His wife, Heather Morgan (online alias Razzlekhan), was sentenced to 18 months for aiding the crime and was released in October 2025.
