Irina Dilkinska, the former head of legal and compliance for OneCoin, has been sentenced to four years in prison for her involvement in money laundering. Dilkinska, who pleaded guilty in November to charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, was sentenced by United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos on Wednesday.
Judge Ramos rejected Dilkinska’s plea to avoid imprisonment and return to Bulgaria to care for her children, stating that a woman of her “intelligence” should have known better. Prosecutors revealed that Dilkinska played a significant role from 2014 to 2019, aiding Mark Scott, OneCoin’s U.S.-based lawyer, in laundering $400 million through fictitious Cayman Islands investment funds. Scott was convicted in 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison in January.
Dilkinska’s sentencing underscores the ongoing legal repercussions faced by individuals associated with OneCoin. The scheme, co-founded by the infamous “crypto queen” Ruja Ignatova, operated as a $4 billion international Ponzi scheme without a genuine cryptocurrency. Instead, it incentivized members to recruit others to purchase worthless OneCoin packages.
OneCoin’s co-founder, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud and money laundering and ordered to pay $300 million in restitution. Former OneCoin attorney Mark Scott has also been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ignatova herself is on the FBI’s top 10 most wanted list in 2022, since she is still missing and presumed to be dead.
Dilkinska’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the legal fallout from the massive Ponzi scheme, which has led to several convictions and prison sentences for those involved. The case highlights the importance of due diligence and the need for individuals to uphold their legal and ethical responsibilities, particularly in the cryptocurrency industry.
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Source: Cryptodaily
