Share this @internewscast.com

A rapping tech CEO and her husband, the son of an Illinois mortgage broker, were arrested Tuesday and charged with laundering billions in stolen cryptocurrency.

Court documents say that Ilya Lichtenstein, 34, and Heather Morgan, 31, are alleged to have helped launder the proceeds of a hacker’s massive breach of the bitcoin platform Bitfinex in 2016, NBC News reported.

Nearly 120,000 bitcoins were stolen in the breach, according to prosecutors, who said they were sent to a digital wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. About 25,000 of the coins were sent out of the wallet in laundering transactions, ending with some of the money deposited into Lichtenstein and Morgan’s financial accounts.

The rest of the coins remained in the wallet, where they were seized by federal investigators. At the time of the theft, the coins were worth more than $71 million; they were worth more than $3.6 billion when the feds seized them.

“Today’s arrests, and the department’s largest financial seizure ever, show that cryptocurrency is not a safe haven for criminals,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said in a statement. “In a futile effort to maintain digital anonymity, the defendants laundered stolen funds through a labyrinth of cryptocurrency transactions. Thanks to the meticulous work of law enforcement, the department once again showed how it can and will follow the money, no matter what form it takes.”

According to the Daily Beast, Morgan, from northern California, raps under the name “Razzlekhan,” sometimes shortened to just “Razz,” and was a frequent contributor to Forbes magazine — but not an employee, the magazine said — until September 2021. She also contributed to Inc magazine and founded the tech company SalesFolk, which calls itself “the first company to specialize in cold email copywriting.”

Lichtenstein, who holds dual Russian/U.S. citizenship, is from Illinois, where his father, mortgage banker Yevgeniy Likhtenshteyn, declined to comment on his son’s arrest.

Prosecutors said the pair spent some of their ill-gotten gains on gold, NFTs, and “mundane things such as purchasing a Walmart gift card for $500.”

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast

[Featured image: “Razzlekhan” (Heather Morgan)/Facebook]

Source: This post first appeared on

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Terrifying Home Invasion: Man Ambushes Pregnant Ex, Leaving Family Traumatically Scarred

Left inset: Christopher Mike (Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Sylvia Scott…

Shocking Incident: Seven Youngsters Charged in Viral Assault on Mother, Ages 10-13 Revealed

In a troubling incident last month, seven children in Illinois have been…

Man Blames ‘Allergic Reaction’ for Toddler’s Near-Fatal Injuries: A Chilling Tale of Abuse Unveiled

Left: Howard Dewayne Walker Jr.”s mug shot. Right: Walker after his arrest…

Probation Violations Lead to Arrest: Men Detained for Drug and Firearm Possession

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Two individuals on probation, Peyton Artavious Anderson,…

Shocking Indictment: Ex-Pastor John Paul Miller Accused of Cyberstalking Late Estranged Wife

In a recent development, a former pastor from South Carolina, John Paul…

Gainesville Resident Transferred from Prison to Address 2023 Aggravated Assault Charge

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A 21-year-old named Timothy Dewayne Means Jr.…

Tragic Shooting Over Dog Dispute: Man Fatally Shoots Ex-Girlfriend’s Father After Countdown

Inset: Sylvester Grice-Jordan (Miami-Dade Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation). Background: Home in…

Justice Sought: Holly Bobo’s Convicted Killer Requests New Trial in High-Profile Disappearance Case

Holly Bobo, a vibrant young nursing student, vanished from her family’s residence…

Car Crash in Hotel Courtyard Leaves Patrons Hospitalized: A Shocking Incident Unfolds

A man has been charged after a car crashed into a hotel…

Tragic Case of Infant Abuse: Mother Charged After 10-Month-Old Dies from Severe Injuries

Left: Daisha Somers (Hocking County Sheriff’s Office). Right: Ka’myla Somers (GoFundMe). In…

Detained Shoplifter at Walmart Attempts to Shoot Police Officer, But Gun Malfunctions, Authorities Report

Shoplifting suspect tries to shoot police officer at a Walmart in Canton,…

Alleged Anti-Muslim Instigator Appears in Court for Cronulla Assault Incident

A man accused of stirring up racial tensions by organizing a rally…