The US Department of Justice reported the arrest of 38-year-old New York resident and Russian citizen Yuri Gugnin, founder of the cryptocurrency platform Evita, who has been charged with 22 counts, with individual episodes potentially facing up to 30 years in prison.
"Gugnin came to the US and organized a money laundering operation under the guise of a cryptocurrency startup, which he then used to evade sanctions and export controls and deceive American financial institutions," said Joseph Nosella, prosecutor for the Eastern District of New York.
According to the investigation, from June 2023 to January 2025, he laundered over $530 million, including transfers related to sanctioned Russian banks — Alfa-Bank and Sberbank.
The indictment alleges that Gugnin received USDT from foreign clients, converted them into dollars through controlled accounts, and processed them through the American financial system, concealing the purpose and origin of the funds. He also helped purchase components with export restrictions, including for the needs of "Rosatom."
"Gugnin's cryptocurrency company allegedly served as a front for laundering hundreds of millions of dollars for Russian organizations under sanctions and for obtaining export-controlled technologies for the Russian government," said Roman Rozhavsky, assistant director of the FBI's Counterintelligence Division.
At the same time, while in the US, Gugnin allegedly used personal accounts in Russian banks, hiding the actual connection with Russia and sanctioned entities from crypto exchanges and banks.