Aleksei Andriunin, a Russian nationwide charged with manipulating cryptocurrency via the Gotbit market maker platform, has reportedly struck a plea cope with prosecutors in america.
Gotbit founder and CEO Andriunin has agreed to forfeit about $23 million in Tether USDt (USDT) and Circle’s USDC (USDC) in a plea cope with Massachusetts federal prosecutors, the authorized information service Law360 reported on March 19.
As a part of the plea, Andriunin will plead responsible to a few counts charging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and market manipulation, according to the letter signed by the defendant on March 19.
An excerpt from letters within the Gotbix founder case associated to the $23 million forfeiture as a part of the plea with Massachusetts prosecutors: Law360
“Defendant understands and agrees that forfeiture shall not fulfill or have an effect on any tremendous, lien, penalty, restitution, price of imprisonment, tax legal responsibility or some other debt owed to america,” the letter reads.
The settlement doesn’t bind the US Lawyer Common
Within the letter to the defendant, the US Lawyer for the District of Massachusetts, Leah Foley, pressured that the settlement to forfeit $23 million is barely between Andriunin and the legal professional.
“It doesn’t bind the Lawyer Common of america or some other federal, state, or native prosecuting authorities,” the letter reads.
The letter additionally states that the defendant acknowledges the courtroom just isn’t obligated to stick to the sentencing calculations proposed by the Massachusetts legal professional.
An excerpt from authorized letters within the Gotbix founder case associated to sentencing pointers with Massachusetts prosecutors: Law360
“Defendant could not withdraw defendant’s responsible plea if defendant disagrees with how the courtroom calculates the rules or with the sentence the courtroom imposes,” legal professional Foley wrote.
Andriunin was extradited to the US in October 2025
Gotbit founder’s cope with Massachusetts prosecutors got here months after Andriunin was extradited to the US in October 2024 after being arrested by Portuguese authorities.
Since extradition, Andriunin has appeared in a federal courtroom in Boston, Massachusetts, the place he was ordered to stay detained till additional discover.
Andriunin, 26, was charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud in a superseding indictment in October 2024.
Supply: Alex Andriunin
According to Massachusetts courtroom paperwork, Gotbit was a crypto “market maker” that orchestrated a “widespread cryptocurrency market manipulation scheme.” The platform was registered in Belize and was mentioned to offer synthetic buying and selling quantity for world companies, together with these within the US, between 2017 and 2024.
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Aside from Andriunin, the felony grievance from Massachusetts authorities in September 2024 additionally concerned different Gotbit workers, equivalent to advertising director Fedor Kedrov and gross sales director Qawi Jalili, each residing in Russia.
Within the plea letter, Massachusetts legal professional Foley talked about that the property listed within the forfeiture part of the Gotbit plea settlement are solely managed by the defendant on Gotbit’s behalf regardless of these property belonging to Gotbit.
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