According to Cointelegraph, Aleksei Andriunin, the founder and CEO of the Gotbit market maker platform, has entered into a plea agreement with U.S. prosecutors. The Russian national, charged with manipulating cryptocurrency markets, has agreed to forfeit approximately $23 million in Tether USDt (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC) as part of the deal with federal prosecutors in Massachusetts. The plea agreement, reported by Law360 on March 19, involves Andriunin pleading guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation.
The plea agreement specifies that the forfeiture of assets does not absolve Andriunin of any other financial obligations to the United States, such as fines or taxes. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, clarified that the agreement is solely between Andriunin and the Massachusetts attorney and does not bind the U.S. Attorney General or other prosecuting authorities. Furthermore, the court is not obligated to adhere to the sentencing guidelines proposed by the Massachusetts attorney, and Andriunin cannot withdraw his guilty plea based on disagreements with the court's sentencing decisions.
Andriunin's legal troubles began after his extradition to the United States in October 2024, following his arrest by Portuguese authorities. Since his extradition, he has appeared in a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, where he remains detained. The charges against him include wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud, as outlined in a superseding indictment from October 2024.
Court documents from Massachusetts describe Gotbit as a crypto market maker involved in a widespread cryptocurrency market manipulation scheme. Registered in Belize, Gotbit allegedly provided artificial trading volume for global firms, including those in the United States, from 2017 to 2024. The criminal complaint also implicates other Gotbit employees, such as marketing director Fedor Kedrov and sales director Qawi Jalili, both residing in Russia. The plea agreement notes that the assets listed for forfeiture are controlled by Andriunin on behalf of Gotbit, despite being owned by the company.
Anais
