The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it is charging Bulgarian national Irina Dilkinksa with fraud for her alleged role in a multibillion-dollar crypto scheme. Dilkinksa is believed to have been the head of the legal and compliance department of OneCoin, a $4 billion pyramid scheme that marketed itself as a cryptocurrency firm.
According to the DOJ, Dilkinksa helped OneCoin launder millions of dollars of illegal proceeds through shell companies, despite her supposed role in the company as head of legal and compliance.
The pyramid scheme, which was started by “cryptoqueen” Ruga Ignatova in 2014, was found to be fraudulent, with members receiving commissions for recruiting others to purchase fake cryptocurrency packages.
Ignatova was indicted for her role in the scheme in 2017 but disappeared after boarding a flight to Athens, Greece. In June 2022, she was added to the FBI’s top ten most wanted list. Dilkinksa is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, both of which carry a potential maximum sentence of 20 years.
The DOJ’s announcement of fraud charges against Dilkinksa highlights the extent of the OneCoin scheme and the severity of its impact on victims, many of whom lost significant amounts of money.
