$10M in BTC: Russia’s Biggest Crypto Bribery Case Exposed

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$10 Million in Bitcoin Seized: Russia’s Biggest Crypto Bribery Case Exposed

Written by Aaron S.,

Editor-In-Chief

Last Updated: January 10, 2025

Key Takeaways

Russian officials seized 103 Bitcoin worth $10 million from ex-ICRF employee Marat Tambiev in a major bribery case;
Tambiev received 2,718 Bitcoin, equivalent to $258 million at the time, from hackers to halt legal actions and hide assets;
Private wallet keys labeled "Retirement" on Tambiev's laptop led to the Bitcoin seizure.

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$10 Million in Bitcoin Seized: Russia’s Biggest Crypto Bribery Case Exposed

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Russian officials have seized 103 Bitcoin BTC $89,615.18 worth $10 million from Marat Tambiev, a former employee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

This action follows a high-profile bribery case tied to cryptocurrency, which has been described as one of the largest corruption scandals in the country.

Investigators accessed the funds by unlocking Tambiev’s hardware wallet, Ledger Nano X, found during the investigation. While the 103 Bitcoin represents a large amount, it accounts for only 4% of the total bribe Tambiev is believed to have received.

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Tambiev was convicted of accepting bribes in the form of cryptocurrency in 2023. The seized funds will now be added to the state treasury, according to a January 8 report from the local news agency TASS.

He was sentenced in October 2024 to 16 years in prison for accepting a massive bribe of 2,718 Bitcoin, valued at $258 million at the time. This transaction was linked to the Infraud Organization, a hacking group that reportedly paid Tambiev and other officials to block legal actions against them.

Court records show that Tambiev stored private keys to his cryptocurrency wallet on his laptop, labeled in a folder named “Retirement”.

The case uncovered that he had been accepting payments from hackers to influence procedural decisions, including dropping criminal charges and allowing them to conceal assets worth an estimated $138 million.

While Russia tackles corruption involving cryptocurrency, authorities in Thailand recently seized 996 Bitcoin mining rigs. What happened? Read the full story.