U.S. Charges Two Men Over Alleged $389 Million Crypto Laundering Service

Highlights:

• U.S. prosecutors charged two men for allegedly helping run the AudiA6 crypto laundering service.
• Authorities say AudiA6 processed over $389 million in crypto transactions linked to criminal activity.
• Officials arrested both men in Georgia and plan to seek their extradition to Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Department of Justice has charged two men over their alleged role in a cryptocurrency money laundering service that processed more than $389 million in illegal transactions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania announced the case on Thursday.

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According to the Justice Department, authorities arrested Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, in Georgia on Wednesday. Prosecutors said the two men helped operate “AudiA6,” a crypto laundering service that allegedly hid the source of digital assets linked to crime.

Tkachuk is a Ukrainian national, while Ledenev is a Russian national. Both men were living in Batumi, Georgia, at the time of their arrest. Georgian authorities now hold them in custody, and U.S. officials plan to seek their extradition to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

NEW: 🇺🇸The U.S. has charged two individuals for allegedly operating AudiA6, a cryptocurrency laundering service accused of processing over $389M in illicit transactions between 2022 and 2025. pic.twitter.com/g9qwXC0i0H

— SolanaFloor (@SolanaFloor) June 11, 2026

Authorities Shut Down AudiA6 Infrastructure

Law enforcement agencies carried out a coordinated international operation against AudiA6 and its related infrastructure. The Justice Department said agencies from several countries worked together to disrupt the network.

The operation included the United States Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement partners from Australia, Canada, Georgia, Germany, France, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

During the operation, authorities searched three properties. They also targeted servers and domains linked to the alleged network in the United States, Iceland, Germany, and France. Investigators blocked Telegram accounts, froze crypto assets, and seized digital devices. Authorities also replaced the AudiA6 websites on the clear web and the dark web with law-enforcement seizure banners. They took the same action against Dark2Web, a cybercrime forum where AudiA6 allegedly promoted its services.

Prosecutors Say AudiA6 Helped Hide Criminal Crypto

The criminal complaint says Tkachuk and Ledenev held senior roles in the AudiA6 organization. Prosecutors said they helped manage the laundering service and the Dark2Web cybercrime forum.

According to the complaint, AudiA6 told customers it could conceal and disguise the source of cryptocurrency linked to criminal activity. The service allegedly charged customers a fee of up to five percent of the funds it laundered.

Investigators used blockchain analysis to track the movement of funds. Prosecutors said users deposited around 10,333 Bitcoin into AudiA6 wallets since the service launched in 2021. Those Bitcoins were worth about $389.7 million at the time of the transactions.

Out of that amount, around 393.39 Bitcoin, worth about $19.2 million at the time, allegedly came directly from known darknet markets, ransomware groups, cybercrime services, and other illegal sources. Officials said more funds also reached AudiA6 wallets indirectly from illegal sources.

Defendants Face Up to 20 Years in Prison

Prosecutors charged Tkachuk and Ledenev by criminal complaint with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and sting money laundering. If a court convicts them, each defendant could face up to 20 years in prison. The Justice Department said the charges remain allegations. The law presumes both defendants innocent unless prosecutors prove them guilty in court.

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