YEREVAN (CoinChapter.com) — Marat Tambiyev, a former investigator with the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR), has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for accepting a bribe of 1,032 Bitcoins, valued at around $65 million. Tambiyev received this payment from members of the Infraud Organization hacking group. The bribery scandal came to light after a thorough investigation into his conduct while probing the illegal activities of the hacking group.
Tambiyev had been with the ICR since 2011, handling several high-profile cases. He rose to the position of head of the investigative division in Moscow’s Tverskoy district before his arrest. The investigation revealed that Tambiyev accepted the massive Bitcoin bribe to protect two members of the Infraud Organization from having their assets seized.
Bitcoin Bribe Allows Hackers to Avoid Confiscation
On April 7, 2022, Tambiyev allegedly accepted the 1,032 Bitcoins from Infraud members Kirill Samokutyaevsky and Konstantin Bergmanov. This payment allowed them to avoid confiscation of their illegal assets. A lawsuit filed at the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow detailed how Tambiyev agreed to shield the hackers’ assets in exchange for the hefty bribe.
Authorities uncovered the bribe in early 2023 and immediately found that the 1,032 Bitcoins were worth about 1.6 billion rubles, setting a new bribery record in Russia. Investigators quickly located the Bitcoin in two online wallets. They accessed these wallets through Tambiyev’s Apple MacBook Pro, where a folder labeled “Pension” held the keys. Without delay, the investigators seized the funds and then transferred them to a Ledger Nano X hardware wallet.
Legal Team Plans Appeals After Sentencing
Tambiyev denied any wrongdoing, claiming that his actions had helped recover funds from illegal activities. Despite his defense, the court handed down a 16-year sentence. Kristina Lyakhovenko, a colleague of Tambiyev, was also sentenced to nine years in prison for her involvement in the case. Both defendants plan to appeal the court’s decision.
The Infraud Organization built a long criminal history, and several members now serve prison terms. Specifically, in 2021, authorities in the U.S. sentenced Sergey Medvedev from Russia and Marko Leopard from North Macedonia. Medvedev received a five-year sentence, while Leopard faced ten years behind bars. Both were convicted for trafficking stolen data and malware.
Mass Arrests in Russia for Crypto-Related Crimes
Russia has taken a cautious stance on cryptocurrency following a 2022 ban. However, recent investigations have uncovered widespread illegal activity involving digital currencies. Additionally, authorities recently arrested nearly 100 individuals linked to the anonymous payment system UAPS and cryptocurrency exchange Cryptex. These suspects were involved in money laundering and the sale of bank cards.
Notably, The U.S. Treasury Department reported that Cryptex processed more than $51 million from ransomware-related transactions and over $720 million tied to Russian cybercriminals. Primarily, this included mixing services and transactions through the sanctioned exchange Garantex.
