
A Russian suspect linked to a $4 billion Bitcoin fraud case -- whose extradition from Greece is sought by U.S. authorities -- has now been hit with a civil lawsuit in California.
The U.S. is after Alexander Vinnik and his digital currency exchange company, BTC-e, over his alleged role in the fraud case.
Federal prosecutors charged him in 2017 with stealing Bitcoins from other virtual exchanges. U.S. authorities now seek to recover penalties of $100 million from Vinnik and his company, Bloomberg reported.
According to a prosecutors’ statement, Vinnik’s company is incorporated in Cyprus, or the Seychelles, or even both. Californian users, in addition to users from other places, used the exchange to trade Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
Vinnik remains detained in Greece as he continues to fight the U.S. extradition request. Russia, meanwhile, is also seeking his extradition, with Vinnik’s lawyers saying in 2017 that he wouldn’t contest the Russian request.