Ilya Lichtenstein, in prison for the 2016 theft of 120,000 bitcoins from Bitfinex, made his first public statement since his 2022 arrest. In a video released on X (formerly Twitter), Lichtenstein claimed he acted alone, refuting rumors that his wife or father were involved with the crime.
Key Points:
- Lichtenstein emphasized his sole responsibility for the hack.
- He expressed regret and mentioned plans to pursue a career in cybersecurity post-release.
- In his statement, he dismissed allegations made in a Netflix documentary regarding his family's involvement.
“My dad is no hacker, he doesn’t even know how to use Instagram,” said Lichtenstein, who will serve five years for his crimes.
He extended his apologies to Bitfinex for the distress caused: “I knew what I was doing was wrong, and I did it anyway because I didn’t care ... I hate myself.”
In the video, he also discussed the restitution of the stolen funds, indicating his commitment to returning what he could.
Lichtenstein’s wife, Heather 'Razzlekhan' Morgan, also faces legal consequences. She pled guilty to money laundering conspiracy and was forthcoming about her unwitting involvement.
“My wife is just another victim of my bad decisions,” Lichtenstein noted during his statement.
He reiterated his intention to commit to cybersecurity work upon release, aiming to leverage his experience for productive ends. The stolen bitcoin's value has rocketed from $70 million at the time of theft to approximately $12 billion today, complicating recovery efforts.
