Two Chinese nationals who help North Korean hackers to launder $100 million out of the $250 million stolen from an exchange, using prepaid iTunes gift cards and other methods.
Two Chinese Nationals Charged with Laundering Over $100 Million in Cryptocurrency from Exchange Hack
Forfeiture Complaint Details Over $250 Million Stolen by North Korean Actors
WASHINGTON Two Chinese nationals were charged with laundering over $100 million worth of cryptocurrency from a hack of a cryptocurrency exchange. The funds were stolen by North Korean actors in 2018, as detailed in the civil forfeiture complaint also unsealed today.
In the two-count indictment unsealed today in the District of Columbia, 田寅寅 aka Tian Yinyin, and 李家东aka Li Jiadong, were charged with money laundering conspiracy and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
The hacking of virtual currency exchanges and related money laundering for the benefit of North Korean actors poses a grave threat to the security and integrity of the global financial system, said U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Shea of the District of Columbia. These charges should serve as a reminder that law enforcement, through its partnerships and collaboration, will uncover illegal activity here and abroad, and charge those responsible for unlawful acts and seize illicit funds even when in the form of virtual currency.]
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/two-chinese-nationals-charged-laundering-over-100-million-cryptocurrency-exchange-hack
In relation to that, US Department of Treasury added 20 known BTC address of the two
The following individuals have been added to OFAC's SDN List:
LI, Jiadong (Chinese Simplified: 李家东) (a.k.a. "blackjack1987"; a.k.a. "khaleesi"), Anshan, Liaoning, China (Chinese Simplified: 鞍山, 辽宁, China); DOB 10 Jan 1987; nationality China; Gender Male; Digital Currency Address - XBT 1EfMVkxQQuZfBdocpJu6RUsCJvenQWbQyE; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 17UVSMegvrzfobKC82dHXpZLtLcqzW9stF; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 39eboeqYNFe2VoLC3mUGx4dh6GNhLB3D2q; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 39fhoB2DohisGBbHvvfmkdPdShT75CNHdX; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3E6rY4dSCDW6y2bzJNwrjvTtdmMQjB6yeh; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3EeR8FbcPbkcGj77D6ttneJxmsr3Nu7KGV; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3HQRveQzPifZorZLDXHernc5zjoZax8U9f; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3JXKQ81JzBqVbB8VHdV9Jtd7auWokkdPgY; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3KHfXU24Bt3YD5Ef4J7uNp2buCuhrxfGen; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3LbDu1rUXHNyiz4i8eb3KwkSSBMf7C583D; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3MN8nYo1tt5hLxMwMbxDkXWd7Xu522hb9P; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3N6WeZ6i34taX8Ditser6LKWBcXmt2XXL4; Secondary sanctions risk: North Korea Sanctions Regulations, sections 510.201 and 510.210; Phone Number 8613314257947; alt. Phone Number 8618004121000; Identification Number 210302198701102136 (China) (individual) [DPRK3] [CYBER2] (Linked To: LAZARUS GROUP).
TIAN, Yinyin (Chinese Simplified: 田寅寅) (a.k.a. "snowsjohn"; a.k.a. "tianyinyin0404"), Nanjing, Jiangsu, China (Chinese Simplified: 南京, 江苏, China); DOB 12 Jul 1986; nationality China; Email Address 417136259@qq.com; Gender Male; Digital Currency Address - XBT 134r8iHv69xdT6p5qVKTsHrcUEuBVZAYak; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 15YK647qtoZQDzNrvY6HJL6QwXduLHfT28; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 1PfwHNxUnkpfkK9MKjMqzR3Xq3KCtq9u17; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 14kqryJUxM3a7aEi117KX9hoLUw592WsMR; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 1F2Gdug9ib9NQMhKMGGJczzMk5SuENoqrp; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 3F2sZ4jbhvDKQdGbHYPC6ZxFXEau2m5Lqj; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 1AXUTu9y3H8w4wYx4BjyFWgRhZKDhmcMrn; alt. Digital Currency Address - XBT 1Hn9ErTCPRP6j5UDBeuXPGuq5RtRjFJxJQ; Secondary sanctions risk: North Korea Sanctions Regulations, sections 510.201 and 510.210; Phone Number 8613621583465; Identification Number 321284198607120616 (China) (individual) [DPRK3] [CYBER2] (Linked To: LAZARUS GROUP).
https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20200302.aspxI can say that this is a good move as they were able to identify and charged the hackers, if this will continue I am sure that the hacking incident will not worse in crypto world. With the amount that they steal, it has a big impact to crypto market especially if the hackers were able to sell their loot.
I hope this will also happened to the hackers of Binance exchange so there will no further casualties to their wrong doings especially that they are are targeting big exchanges. By the way, what happened to the North Korean hackers? Are they also charged the same with 2 Chinese Nationals?
