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   Crypto thief released early thanks to Trump's First Step Act   
      
   Date:   
   Mon, 05 Jan 2026 18:20:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   Ilya Lichtenstein is coming home after serving time for the Bitfinex hack.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   Ilya Lichtenstein, the hacker who was serving prison time for breaking into   
   crypto exchange Bitfinex and stealing millions of dollars' worth of bitcoin,   
   was released from jail early. In a short tweet posted on X, Lichtenstein   
   thanked US President Donald Trump for his early release:    
      
   "Thanks to President Trumps First Step Act, I have been released from prison   
   early. I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as    
   soon as I can, Lichtenstein said. To the supporters, thank you for    
   everything. To the haters, I look forward to proving you wrong."   
      
   Lichtenstein is a Russian-born US citizen who was behind the 2016 Bitfinex   
   hack, largely considered as one of the biggest crypto thefts ever. He and his   
   wife, Heather Razzlekhan Morgan, stole nearly 120,000 bitcoin from the   
   exchange and then spent years laundering the funds through complex chains of   
   wallets, darknet markets, mixers, and fake identities.   
      
   First Step Act    
      
   The pair were arrested in 2022 after investigators traced parts of the stolen   
   crypto. Lichtenstein later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money   
   laundering and related charges, admitting he was the technical architect   
   behind both the hack and the laundering operation. Both were serving prison   
   time, with Lichtenstein getting five years, and Morgan 18 months.    
      
   The First Step Act is a US law, passed in 2018, the goal of which is to    
   reduce prison sentences and encourage rehabilitation. It allows certain   
   inmates to earn time credits for good behavior and for completing approved   
   programs like education, job training, or drug treatment, which can be   
   redeemed for shorter sentences and home confinement.    
      
   Lichtensteins wife, Morgan, was also released early through the same   
   legislation, and gave a shoutout to Papa Trump for her early release.   
   Celebrating the release of her husband, she said: "The best New Years present   
   I could get was finally having my husband home after 4 years of being   
   apart."   
      
    Via Cybernews    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/crypto-thief-released-early-thanks-to-t   
   rumps-first-step-act   
      
   $$   
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