Blab Crypto
U.S. Prosecutors Charge Two Georgian Men in $389 Million Crypto-Laundering Scheme Involving Canada, Europol, and Dark Web Forum
On 12 June 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced that two men living in the Republic of Georgia have been arrested and charged over a cryptocurrency‑laundering operation that moved more than $389 million in illicit funds.
The defendants are Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, a Ukrainian national, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, a Russian national. Prosecutors allege they were senior members of the AudiA6 organization, overseeing both the laundering service and the Dark2Web cyber‑crime forum—both of which have since been replaced with a law‑enforcement seizure banner.
AudiA6, founded in 2021, marketed a service that could conceal the origin of cryptocurrency for a fee of up to five percent of the amount laundered. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said blockchain analysis traced $389,747,417 worth of bitcoin into AudiA6 wallets. About $19,234,331 of those funds were identified as coming from darknet markets, ransomware groups, and other illicit sources.
The scheme was a coordinated effort that spanned several countries and agencies. Canada is listed among the nations that assisted in dismantling the operation, alongside Australia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. U.S. partners included the Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation division, Europol, and Eurojust.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking extradition of the men to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
AudiA6’s Dark2Web forum served as a hub for cyber‑criminals to advertise laundering services and connect with potential clients. The forum’s advertisement explicitly offered to disguise the origin of cryptocurrency for a fee, a practice that facilitates the movement of money from ransomware payments, darknet market transactions, and other illegal activities.
Law‑enforcement officials said the seizure of the forum and the arrest of the two men were part of a broader effort to cut off a key financial pipeline used by ransomware gangs and other cyber‑criminal networks. Europol’s analysis linked the service to over 15 international investigations.
The case illustrates the growing international cooperation required to tackle crypto‑laundering. By combining blockchain analysis with cross‑border law‑enforcement collaboration, authorities were able to trace large sums of illicit bitcoin and identify the individuals running the operation.
At present, the men remain in Georgian custody while extradition proceedings are underway. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet released details on the next steps in the prosecution, but the case underscores the continued focus of U.S. and international agencies on disrupting money‑laundering networks that rely on cryptocurrency.
The operation also highlights the role of dark‑web forums in facilitating illicit financial activity. With the seizure of Dark2Web, investigators have removed a platform that previously enabled criminals to advertise laundering services and coordinate with other actors.
In the broader context, the case adds to a series of recent actions against crypto‑laundering services that have processed hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds. The collaboration between Canada, the U.S., and European agencies demonstrates a coordinated approach to dismantling the infrastructure that supports cyber‑crime.
The current situation remains under investigation, with extradition and prosecution pending. The case is expected to set a precedent for future actions against similar laundering services and may prompt additional scrutiny of dark‑web forums that facilitate the concealment of illicit cryptocurrency.
The defendants are Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, a Ukrainian national, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, a Russian national. Prosecutors allege they were senior members of the AudiA6 organization, overseeing both the laundering service and the Dark2Web cyber‑crime forum—both of which have since been replaced with a law‑enforcement seizure banner.
AudiA6, founded in 2021, marketed a service that could conceal the origin of cryptocurrency for a fee of up to five percent of the amount laundered. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said blockchain analysis traced $389,747,417 worth of bitcoin into AudiA6 wallets. About $19,234,331 of those funds were identified as coming from darknet markets, ransomware groups, and other illicit sources.
The scheme was a coordinated effort that spanned several countries and agencies. Canada is listed among the nations that assisted in dismantling the operation, alongside Australia, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. U.S. partners included the Secret Service, the IRS Criminal Investigation division, Europol, and Eurojust.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is seeking extradition of the men to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
AudiA6’s Dark2Web forum served as a hub for cyber‑criminals to advertise laundering services and connect with potential clients. The forum’s advertisement explicitly offered to disguise the origin of cryptocurrency for a fee, a practice that facilitates the movement of money from ransomware payments, darknet market transactions, and other illegal activities.
Law‑enforcement officials said the seizure of the forum and the arrest of the two men were part of a broader effort to cut off a key financial pipeline used by ransomware gangs and other cyber‑criminal networks. Europol’s analysis linked the service to over 15 international investigations.
The case illustrates the growing international cooperation required to tackle crypto‑laundering. By combining blockchain analysis with cross‑border law‑enforcement collaboration, authorities were able to trace large sums of illicit bitcoin and identify the individuals running the operation.
At present, the men remain in Georgian custody while extradition proceedings are underway. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has not yet released details on the next steps in the prosecution, but the case underscores the continued focus of U.S. and international agencies on disrupting money‑laundering networks that rely on cryptocurrency.
The operation also highlights the role of dark‑web forums in facilitating illicit financial activity. With the seizure of Dark2Web, investigators have removed a platform that previously enabled criminals to advertise laundering services and coordinate with other actors.
In the broader context, the case adds to a series of recent actions against crypto‑laundering services that have processed hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit funds. The collaboration between Canada, the U.S., and European agencies demonstrates a coordinated approach to dismantling the infrastructure that supports cyber‑crime.
The current situation remains under investigation, with extradition and prosecution pending. The case is expected to set a precedent for future actions against similar laundering services and may prompt additional scrutiny of dark‑web forums that facilitate the concealment of illicit cryptocurrency.
