Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov have been indicted by a federal grand jury for operating cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io. These services allegedly facilitated money laundering activities for criminals worldwide.
“Blender.io and Sinbad.io were allegedly used by criminals across the world to launder funds stolen from victims of ransomware, virtual currency thefts, and other crimes,” stated U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. He emphasized the commitment to dismantling infrastructure used by cybercriminals.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible explained that these mixers served as havens for laundering criminally derived funds. “By allegedly operating these mixers, the defendants made it easier for state-sponsored hacking groups and other cybercriminals to profit from offenses that jeopardized both public safety and national security.”
The FBI’s Sean Burke highlighted international cooperation in dismantling Sinbad.io last year. “These indictments serve as a testament to the power of international cooperation,” he said.
Blender.io operated from 2018 until 2022, advertising a “No Logs Policy” on internet forums. It claimed not to require user registration or personal details. After its shutdown, Sinbad.io began offering similar Bitcoin concealment services until law enforcement action took it down on November 27, 2023.
Both services have been sanctioned by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) due to their use by North Korean entities and ransomware groups.
Ostapenko faces charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Oleynik and Tarasov face similar charges; however, Tarasov remains at large while Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested on December 1, 2024.
Authorities remind the public that these are charges only; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service played a key role in disrupting Sinbad.io with assistance from Australian Federal Police and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samir Kaushal alongside Trial Attorney Ethan Cantor from the Justice Department’s Computer Crime Section.
For further information contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.
