DOJ seizes millions in crypto from fugitive Kristijan Krstic
The DOJ has seized millions of dollars worth of crypto from wanted fugitive Kristijan Krstic.
As per an amended bill of particulars filed on October 13th, the DOJ cites the following seized assets belonging to Krstic:
- 0.0078747 in bitcoin seized on August 9th, 2023
- 17.00494052 in bitcoin seized on August 9th, 2023
- 2,199,947.197118 in tether seized on August 9th, 2023
- 104,490 in ripple seized on August 9th, 2023
- 630.71664196 in litecoin seized on August 9th, 2023
- 1054.166547 in tether seized on August 9th, 2023
- 19.7193635 in ethereum seized on August 9th, 2023
- 264.002 in tron seized on August 9th, 2023
- 0.00540426 in bitcoin seized on August 9th, 2023
- 145.666881 in ripple seized on August 10th, 2023
- 315.894923 in tron seized on August 10th, 2023
- 0.65558538 in bitcoin cash seized on August 10th, 2023
As of October 19th, the total value of the seized assets comes to $2,821,035.92.
Details of the latest round of seizures aren’t provided but appears to be that of hardware wallets in Dallas, Texas.
A forfeiture notice filed in late 2021 details additional assets the DOJ has its eye on.
Krstic (right) was the owner of a $70 million dollar plus Ponzi empire.
The FBI secured Krstic’s arrest in Serbia back in 2020. Prior to his extradition, Serbian authorities then released Krstic in August 2021.
Predictably, within a few weeks Krstic and wife Xenia Atilano fled the country.
Krstic and Atilano are believed to be hiding in the Philippines. In August 2023 Serbian media reported Atilano had died in Turkey of a “serious illness”.
These reports remain unconfirmed. As of October 2023, Atilano’s individual criminal case docket does not acknowledge her reported death.
Now, I’m not defending or siding with the target of the DOJ, but if the DOJ can seize crypto, doesn’t that defeat the argument that crypto is private and can’t be traced or who the owner is?
Imagine transactions being public, exchanges being offramps and thinking your illegal activity can’t be traced.