Christopher Hamilton’s OneCoin money laundering indictment has been unsealed.

Originally filed back in March 2019, Hamilton’s indictment details two counts of fraud.

As per his indictment, Hamilton worked with co-conspirator Robert MacDonald to launder over $100 million for OneCoin.

Hamilton (right) and MacDonald structured their transfers in such a way as to “conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds”.

In other words, classic money laundering.

Cited as wire fraud, one OneCoin transaction saw Hamilton and MacDonald transfer around $40 million from China to the US.

Instead of reaching OneCoin’s banking channels however, Hamilton and MacDonald diverted the funds to

bank accounts controlled by Hamilton and MacDonald in other Asian and European countries.

One of the companies Hamilton and MacDonald created and used is Viola Money – also used by the recently collapsed Ponzi scheme Omega Pro.

After Viola Money Hamilton started up Blukite Group Limited in 2020. Whether Blukite Group was also used to launder money for Ponzi schemes is unclear.

For their efforts in assisting OneCoin defraud consumers, the DOJ charged Hamilton and MacDonald with

  1. one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; and
  2. one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

Hamilton and MacDonald were arrested in the UK back in 2019. The US filed for extradition but only secured Hamilton’s transfer.

MacDonald was granted an appeal against extradition on humanitarian grounds.

McDonald is the carer for his “extremely ill” wife who suffers from progressive multiple sclerosis, and has expressed “clear and genuine suicidal intent, in the event he were to be extradited,” the judgment reads.

As of August 2022, Hamilton’s extradition to the US was pending. Following the unsealing of his indictment and criminal case, Hamilton is believed to have been extradited.

That said, I was unable to find him as a BOP inmate. Pending confirmation he’s been extradited, Hamilton’s status remains unclear.

If convicted Hamilton faces up to 40 years in prison. He will also have to forfeit his OneCoin ill-gotten gains.

 

Update 20th November 2023 – The UK High Court has refused to extradite Christopher Hamilton to the US.