A woman who was arrested in February for her alleged involvement in a $4.6 billion (£3.8 billion) Bitcoin theft has been told by a judge that she can earn more than $10,000 (£8,365) per month while awaiting trial.
Heather Morgan, who rapped under the name Razzlekhan, was arrested earlier this year alongside her husband Ilya Lichtenstein on charges of conspiring to launder billions in Bitcoin.
While her husband was denied bail, it was granted to Morgan, who has since had her request to modify pretrial release conditions approved by a judge.
Advert
Courts are said to have shown Morgan more leniency than her husband because it was Lichtenstein that allegedly had direct control of the stolen crypto.
According to Bloomberg, one of the modifications made to her release conditions allow Morgan to seek ‘legitimate’ employment, with a judge saying Morgan ‘may engage in legitimate employment and receive income of greater than $10,000 per month’.
It’s reported that prosecutors have not objected to the request, which was filed in a Washington federal court. It remains unclear whether or not Morgan has yet to find employment.
Advert
Back in February, the US Department of Justice seized billions worth of stolen Bitcoin in what was considered the largest cryptocurrency confiscation to date.
According to Justice Department officials, a hacker made more than 2,000 unauthorised transactions and funnelled them through a digital wallet run by Lichtenstein.
Sky News reported in February that Lichtenstein and Morgan were arrested for allegedly laundering around 25,000 of the stolen Bitcoin over the past five years.
.webp)
Advert
Deputy attorney general Lisa Monaco said at the time: “Today’s arrests, and the department’s largest financial seizure ever, show that cryptocurrency is not a safe haven for criminals.
“In a futile effort to maintain digital anonymity, the defendants laundered stolen funds through a labyrinth of cryptocurrency transactions.
“Thanks to the meticulous work of law enforcement, the department once again showed how it can and will follow the money, no matter the form it takes.”
To cover up their tracks, Lichtenstein and Morgan reportedly used fake identities, as well as converting their Bitcoin into other digital currencies to spend it on items ranging from gold and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to a $500 Walmart gift card, according to prosecutors.
Advert
Morgan was also pursuing her rap career under the name Razzlekhan at the time, often posting content on social media.
UNILAD has approached the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for comment.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Topics: Bitcoin, Crime, Technology
Aisha Nozari