News Brief Summary

Two men have been charged in connection with operating the alleged cryptocurrency money laundering service known as "AudiA6."

Federal authorities say the service laundered more than $389 million in cryptocurrency transactions since 2021.

A coordinated international law enforcement operation led to arrests, website seizures, cryptocurrency asset freezes, and the shutdown of related infrastructure.

The operation involved agencies from the United States and multiple international partners across Europe, Asia, Australia, and Canada.

If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

International Cybercrime Crackdown Targets Alleged $389 Million Cryptocurrency Laundering Network

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — Federal authorities have charged two men accused of operating a large-scale cryptocurrency money laundering service that investigators say processed more than $389 million in unlawful transactions.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, a Ukrainian national, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, a Russian national, were arrested in the Republic of Georgia and charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and sting money laundering.

Prosecutors allege the pair operated "AudiA6," a cryptocurrency laundering service that advertised its ability to conceal the origins of digital assets tied to criminal activity. Investigators say the service operated alongside the Dark2Web cybercrime forum, where AudiA6 allegedly promoted its laundering capabilities to potential clients.

The arrests were part of a sweeping international law enforcement operation led by the United States Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Europol, Eurojust, and numerous partner agencies from around the world.

Authorities said the operation resulted in:

Searches of three properties

Seizure of servers and domains in the United States, Iceland, Germany, and France

Blocking of Telegram accounts associated with the network

Freezing of cryptocurrency assets

Seizure of digital devices

Takedown of both the AudiA6 website and the Dark2Web cybercrime forum

The websites now display a law enforcement seizure banner announcing the coordinated international action.

AudiA6 website and the Dark2Web cybercrime forum

Law enforcement seizure banner / U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

According to investigators, blockchain analysis revealed that approximately 10,333 Bitcoin, valued at roughly $389.7 million at the time of the transactions, flowed through AudiA6 wallets since the service launched in 2021.

Federal authorities allege that at least 393 Bitcoin, worth more than $19 million at the time, came directly from known darknet marketplaces, ransomware groups, cybercrime services, and other illicit sources. Investigators say additional cryptocurrency linked to criminal activity was also routed indirectly through the service.

Court documents referenced by prosecutors claim AudiA6 openly marketed its ability to obscure the origins of cryptocurrency and charged customers fees of up to five percent of the amount being laundered.

Tkachuk and Ledenev remain in the custody of Georgian authorities while U.S. prosecutors seek their extradition to Pennsylvania to face charges.

If convicted, both defendants could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

Officials emphasized that the criminal complaint contains allegations only, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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