Accused Cryptoqueen Supporter Extradited to US

An suspected associate of "cryptoqueen" Ruja Ignatova, who generated billions of dollars in a bogus virtual currency scam before going missing in 2017, has reportedly been extradited from Bulgaria to the United States, according to prosecutors.

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According to Hristo Krastev, a spokesman for the Sofia City Prosecution, "a woman, who is a Bulgarian citizen and goes even by initials I.D., was turned over to representatives of the American authorities at Sofia airports on March 20."

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He said that the woman was a purported Ignatova accomplice and stated, "The repatriation was demanded in connection with... membership in an organized criminal cell involved in fraud and money laundering."

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In June of last year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation added 42-year-old Ignatova to its list of the 10 most wanted individuals and offered a $100,000 reward for her capture. Ignatova is suspected of being the brains behind OneCoin, one of the most infamous cryptocurrency scams.

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In 2014, Ignatova introduced OneCoin, stealing potentially more than $4 billion in the process.

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Irina Dilkinska was the lady who had been extradited, according to the US district court's indictment, which AFP has access to.

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Her age is given as 41 in the Sofia Court of Appeal extradition decision.

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From 2014 until 2019, the indictment stated that Dilkinska participated in the scam "by, among many other things, administering the scheme's proceeds and dodging law enforcement inspections in the scheme."

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It continued that she was accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud as well as money laundering, each of which carries a maximum punishment of 20 years in jail.

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In October 2017, Ignatova vanished in Greece, just as US officials issued a sealed indictment and arrest warrant for her. Her whereabouts are still a mystery.

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In the course of the investigation, several other people, including her brother, were additionally taken into custody.