The Estonian co-founders of the defunct crypto mining company HashFlare, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turgin, allege that the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) has ordered them to “immediately” leave the United States or face legal action in contravention of a previous court order.
Lawyers for Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turgin claimed in a email reviewed by and delivered to U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik that both men had received letters from DHS on April 6 stating that” It is time for you to leave the United States.”
That rule is in direct opposition to a judge order mandating their continued presence in King County, Washington.
The information warned that they would be” subject to prospective law enforcement activities,” including “potential criminal prosecution, legal charges, penalties,” and that” the federal government may find you.”
Although the trial group in their situation is “working with DHS to resolve the issue” by requesting DHS to grant Potapenko and Turgin’s parole, their attorneys noted that Turgin received a subsequent communication with the same terminology on April 11.
Although Ivan and Sergei would like nothing more than to leave right away, the letter stated that they understood that they are also required by the court to be in King County.
has reached out to the DHS, Potapenko and Turgin’s counsel, and will release this history in response to their responses.
Their attorneys said that “recent information” about unlawful persecution, good referencing the mistaken imprisonment of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, who was imprisoned in El Salvador, raised their fears.
Immigration authorities “make mistakes,” according to the attorneys, and people who shouldn’t be in prison end up in prison, maybe even deported to locations where they shouldn’t be deported.
HashFlare is a situation study
After remaining in King County, Washington, under bond parameters set by the judge, the defendants were detained in Tallinn in November 2022 and extradited from Estonia in May 2024.
They pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in February for fake advertising cloud-based crypto miners deals through their business, HashFlare, which ran from 2015 to 2019.
The defendants acknowledged a second plan, which involved a 2017 initial coin giving for a$ 31 million Polybius digital institution project.
The FBI claimed that Turgin and Potapenko “used a significant portion of the proceeds for their own individual benefit” rather than “using the proceeds to create a modern bank.”
The plaintiffs agreed to sacrifice roughly$ 400 million worth of assets, including real estate, bitcoin, cars, and mining equipment as part of the plea bargain. August 14 is the set hearing date.
The attorneys also stated in their email that they would obtain a reading requiring company counsel to appear if the DHS issue isn’t resolved.
Mark E. Bini, Potapenko’s attorney, stated on Monday that his customer has adhered to all release problems and is” committed to fully complying.”
Andrey Spektor, Turogin’s attorney, said that he hopes the judge, no DHS, will decide when it’s time to leave.” When the Court sees that Ivan caused no economic damage and contributed to advances in the crypto room,” he said.
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