The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has charged Irina Dilkinksa, a Bulgarian woman, with fraud for allegedly playing a role in a multibillion-dollar cryptocurrency scheme. Dilkinksa, who was the Head of Legal and Compliance for OneCoin, is accused of enabling the company to launder millions of dollars of illegal proceeds through shell companies.
OneCoin was marketed as a multi-level marketing firm where members received commissions for recruiting others to purchase fraudulent cryptocurrency packages.
However, it was found to be a pyramid scheme with millions of victims and billions of dollars in losses. Its founder, “cryptoqueen” Ruga Ignatova, was indicted in 2017 but disappeared after boarding a flight to Greece. In June 2022, she was added to the FBI’s top ten most wanted list.
Dilkinksa and her co-conspirators allegedly used shell companies to extract more funds from victims and launder money. She is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, each carrying a potential maximum sentence of 20 years.
The DOJ is committed to bringing justice to those who have been affected by fraudulent schemes like OneCoin. According to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damien Williams, Dilkinksa helped perpetuate a wide-ranging scheme with millions of victims and billions of dollars in losses. She will now face justice for her alleged crimes.
