Ilya Lichtenstein, who pleaded guilty to money laundering charges tied to his role in the massive hack of the crypto exchange Bitfinex, has been released early from prison. In a social media post, Lichtenstein stated he was out early thanks to President Trump’s First Step Act, a prison reform bill passed during Trump’s first term.
He said he remains committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as possible. Lichtenstein added a message to his supporters, thanking them for everything, and addressed his critics, stating he looks forward to proving them wrong.
The Department of Justice arrested Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather Morgan, in 2022. Authorities seized $3.6 billion worth of bitcoin that had been stolen from Bitfinex. The couple became infamous after their arrest and were later featured in a Netflix documentary titled “Biggest Heist Ever.”
Lichtenstein eventually admitted to his role in the hack and was sentenced to five years in prison. It is not clear whether the Trump administration played a direct role in his release. An administration official told a news outlet that Lichtenstein has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement, which is consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies.