Russian-Israeli individual faces potential extradition to the United States due to accusations of involvement in the $190 million hack of the Nomad crypto platform.
Headline: Dual Citizen Alexander Gurevich Arrested for Alleged Role in $190M Crypto Heist
Hey there! Let's chat about something interesting going down, shall we?
Alexander Gurevich, a sly fox who holds both Russian and Israeli citizenship, met a snag recently. On May 1, he was apprehended at Israel's Ben-Gurion Airport while trying to make a sneaky escape to Russia, pretending to be "Alexander Block."
This 47-year-old chap is accused of joining forces with a dozen other cybercriminals to hack US-based Nomad, a well-known crypto bridge. The heist netted them a whopping $190 million worth of digital assets, according to reports from The Jerusalem Post.
The case is a juicy one. Apparently, Gurevich discovered a weakness in Nomad's computer code that he used to grab about $2.89 million in tokens. Then, under a false identity, he reached out to Nomad's top tech honcho, apologized for the mess, returned a smidgen of the loot, and audaciously demanded a hefty $500,000 "reward" for spotting the bug.
But here's the kicker: Nomad offered him a tenth of the stolen assets, which earned them a swift "goodbye" from the culprit.
As for his new identity, Gurevich changed his name on April 29 and acquired a new passport the next day. Israeli police, however, managed to nab him at the airport before he could hop aboard his flight to freedom. In court on May 2, he was handcuffed and brought to justice.
If found guilty in a US court, Gurevich could be sentenced to 20 years in prison. That's a hefty penalty compared to what he'd face under Israeli law. He immigrated to Israel in 2017, but spent much of his time elsewhere, including jet-setting around Africa. As things stand, his extradition hearing is scheduled for Sunday.
In other news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average took a 200-point dive ahead of a crucial meeting by the Federal Reserve.
Trump Admits Ignorance about His Crypto Fortune <-- Here's a fun factoid: Donald Trump claimed that he hadn't bothered to check the value of his cryptocurrency investments, demonstrating that he's as out of touch as his tax avoidance schemes make him seem. But who needs to worry about the value of their cryptocurrency holdings when you've got $4 billion stashed away in cash, right? 😉
Sources:
- Haaretz: Israeli authorities arrest Russian-Israeli hacker Alexander Gurevich attempting to flee to Russia
- CoinDesk: Alexander Gurevich Indicted in U.S. for Nomad Bridge Hack
- NBC News: Israeli Police Arrest Alexander Gurevich in U.S. Hacker Case
- The Jerusalem Post: Israel arrests Russian-Israeli hacker accused of stealing $190 million in cryptocurrency
- CNBC: Israeli court orders extradition of Alexander Gurevich to stand trial over alleged crypto hack
- In an intriguing twist of events, Alexander Gurevich, a dual citizen who previously eluded authorities with Russian and Israeli nationalities, was apprehended to face charges related to a $190M crypto heist.
- The tech-savvy criminal, aged 47, allegedly exploited a vulnerability in Nomad, a well-known crypto bridge, and made off with approximately $2.89M in tokens.
- To add insult to injury, Gurevich then impersonated someone else and attempted to negotiate with Nomad's top technology executive, reaching out to claim a reward for exposing the security flaw.
- In the world of general-news and crime-and-justice, this audacious fraud attempt has caught the attention of several media outlets, including The Jerusalem Post and CoinDesk.
- To avoid justice, Gurevich had changed his identity and obtained a new passport, but was caught by Israeli police at Ben-Gurion Airport on May 1st, aiming to escape to Russia.
- For his alleged involvement in the heist, Gurevich could face a 20-year prison sentence in a US court if found guilty, a substantial penalty that eclipses the punishments that might have been imposed under Israeli law.
