The $3.6 billion in assets recovered in the case was the largest financial seizure in Justice Department history, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said at the time.
“It’s important to make it clear that you cannot commit these crimes with impunity, that there are consequences,” said District Judge Colleen Kolar-Catelli.
Lichtenstein, who has been in prison since his arrest in February 2022, has expressed remorse for his actions.
He also said he hopes to apply his skills in the fight against cybercrime after serving his sentence.
Morgan also pleaded guilty last year to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. She will be sentenced on November 18.
According to court documents, Lichtenstein used advanced hacking tools and techniques to hack Bitfinex.
After the break-in, he enlisted Morgan’s help in laundering the stolen funds.
They “used numerous sophisticated laundering techniques,” The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said in a statement, external.
The methods included using fake identities, switching funds to different cryptocurrencies and buying gold coins.
Lichtenstein, who was born in Russia but grew up in the U.S., then met couriers on family trips and transported the laundered money home, prosecutors said.
