Ryan K. Buchanan U.S. Attorney | US Attorney's office Northern District of Georgia
Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik, and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their roles in operating cryptocurrency mixing services Blender.io and Sinbad.io. According to U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, these platforms were allegedly used by criminals worldwide to launder funds obtained from ransomware, virtual currency thefts, and other illicit activities.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brent S. Wible stated that the defendants operated cryptocurrency "mixers" which served as havens for laundering illegally acquired funds. He noted that this operation facilitated profit-making for state-sponsored hacking groups and cybercriminals involved in offenses threatening public safety and national security.
Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, highlighted the successful dismantling of Sinbad.io with international assistance last year but emphasized continued efforts to hold those responsible accountable. He remarked that the indictments underscore the power of international cooperation.
Blender.io and Sinbad.io were described as cryptocurrency mixers allowing users to obscure the source of their funds for a fee. Operating between 2018 and 2022, Blender.io promoted itself as having a "No Logs Policy," claiming it deleted transaction traces without requiring user registration or details beyond a receiving address. Following its shutdown, Sinbad.io offered similar services until its takedown on November 27, 2023.
Both platforms have faced sanctions from the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Blender.io was sanctioned on May 6, 2022, due to its use by North Korea to launder stolen virtual currency. Similarly, Sinbad.io was sanctioned on November 29, 2023, for being used by a DPRK state-sponsored hacking group.
Ostapenko faces charges including conspiracy to commit money laundering and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Oleynik shares similar charges with Tarasov also facing one count each related to these allegations. Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested on December 1, 2024; however, Tarasov remains at large.
The indictment is not proof of guilt; all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in court.
International contributions came from entities such as the Netherlands’ Public Prosecution Service and Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation among others. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation with support from various justice departments prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.
