Russia Moves to Sell Over 1000 BTC Seized in Bribery Case

The Russian government has begun moving over 1 billion rubles (over $9.5 million) worth of Bitcoin confiscated from Marat Tambiev, a former commitment investigator accused of accepting bribes in cryptocurrency. The authorities plan to liquidate the seized assets in the coming days.

Known as the largest bribery scandal in Russian history, the crypto holdings were seized during an investigation that uncovered his ties to a hacker group.

The Largest Bribe in Russian History

The former investigator was found guilty of taking a bribe of 1032.1 BTC ( about $96 million) from members of the Infraud Organization, a notorious hacking group he was investigating. The Nikulinsky Court authorized the confiscation of bitcoins from Tambiev after the prosecutor’s office argued that the cryptocurrency was acquired illegally.

The court’s decision followed a lengthy investigation that revealed Tambiev used his position to influence investigations and help hackers conceal illegal funds. Last year, he was sentenced to 16 years and fined 500 million rubles. His assistant, Kristina Lyakhovenko, was jailed for nine years after being found guilty of falsifying evidence.

Despite being convicted of accepting a bribe worth millions of rubles, Tambiev denied all charges during his trial. He argued innocence, refusing to cooperate with the authorities. He even defended his associate, Lyakhovenko, labeling her “a child and a victim” during court proceedings.

Russia to Sell Seized Bitcoin

According to local reports, the government will initially dispose of about $10 million worth of BTC and plan to sell more than 1,000 BTC, which are currently valued at nearly $100 million.

It is alleged that Tambiev split his illicit funds into smaller amounts and kept them in separate wallets. Prosecutors will have to file several requests to the court to access all of them.

In addition to seized bitcoins, Tambiev’s assets, including real estate properties and a motorcycle, are also under review for liquidation. As the authorities continue their investigation, the amount of seized assets might increase, further bolstering the state’s efforts to reclaim the illicit gains.

In a related development, the United States government recently received clearance to liquidate $6.5 billion worth of Bitcoin confiscated from the Silk Road crackdown.