Ruja Ignatova is accused of defrauding investors out of $4 billion (£3.3 billion) by peddling OneCoin, a fraudulent cryptocurrency.
The FBI has added a Bulgarian woman known as “Cryptoqueen” to its list of 10 most-wanted fugitives.
Ruja Ignatova is accused of defrauding investors out of $4 billion (£3.3 billion) by peddling OneCoin, a fraudulent cryptocurrency.
According to prosecutors, Ignatova, a German citizen, vanished in late 2017 after bugging the apartment of her American boyfriend and learning that he was cooperating with an FBI investigation into OneCoin.
She departed Bulgaria on a flight to Greece and has not been seen since.
The FBI is offering a reward of $100,000 (£82,463) for information that leads to her capture.
According to the bureau, Ignatova is believed to travel with armed guards and/or associates, and she may have undergone plastic surgery or otherwise altered her appearance.
In 2019, the 42-year-old was charged with eight counts, including wire fraud and securities fraud, for operating the Bulgaria-based pyramid scheme OneCoin Ltd.
According to the prosecution, the company offered commissions to members who convinced others to purchase a worthless cryptocurrency.
Damian Williams, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, stated, “She perfectly timed her scheme to capitalize on the frenzied speculation of the early days of cryptocurrency.”
He referred to OneCoin as “one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the history of the world.
The FBI adds suspects to its “Most Wanted” list when it believes the public may be able to assist in locating them.
Michael Driscoll, the assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York field office, stated that Ignatova “left with an enormous amount of cash.”
I imagine she is taking advantage of the fact that money can buy her many friends.
