A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia has indicted three Russian nationals for their alleged role in operating crypto mixers Blender.io and Sinbad.io – tools used to launder money linked to cybercrime, including ransomware and theft of virtual currency.
The indictmentpublished on January 10, accuses Roman Vitalyevich Ostapenko, Alexander Evgenievich Oleynik and Anton Vyachlavovich Tarasov of conspiracy to launder money and operate unlicensed money transmission companies.
Ostapenko and Oleynik were arrested on December 1, 2024. Tarasov is still at large.
Authorities allege that Blender.io and Sinbad.io facilitated illegal transactions by masking the origins of cryptocurrencies obtained through criminal activities. According to the indictment, both platforms were heavily used by state-sponsored hacking groups and other cybercriminals.
According to the statement:
“By allegedly operating these mixers, the defendants made it easier for cybercriminals to profit from crimes that threaten public safety and national security.”
Blender.io, operational from 2018 to 2022, promoted a “no logs policy” and boasted that it did not require any personal information from users.
Sinbad.io, launched after Blender.io ceased operations, followed similar practices. The FBI and its international partners dismantled Sinbad.io in November 2023.
Both platforms were ultimately sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for laundering money for state-sponsored hacking groups, including North Korea’s.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit money laundering and an additional five years for each count of operating an unlicensed money transmission business.
This case highlights the power of international cooperation, with contributions from law enforcement agencies in the Netherlands, Finland and Australia. The FBI is leading the investigation with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team.
An indictment is an accusation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
