Russian crypto engineer detained in US asks Trump for pardon – advocate

Anatoly Legkodymov is facing extradition to France and 20 years in prison despite already serving one sentence in America

A Russian crypto entrepreneur incarcerated in the US has appealed to President Donald Trump for a pardon, a human rights advocate has told RT. Anatoly Legkodymov, who has already served a sentence in the US for operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business, is now facing extradition to France to stand trial on the same charges.

Legkodymov, the founder and majority owner of cryptocurrency exchange Bitzlato, was arrested in Miami in January 2023 by the US Justice Department. It accused him of running a platform that facilitated more than $700 million in proceeds from illegal gambling and drug transactions. The DOJ said Bitzlato failed to implement basic money laundering safeguards.

In December 2023, Legkodymov, a Russian national and resident of Shenzhen, China, pleaded guilty to the charges, and in July 2024, a US court sentenced him to the 18 months he had already served. At the time, the judge noted that the harsh detention conditions were a factor in not imposing a longer term. Prosecutors sought at least four years, arguing that he “created a clearinghouse for dirty money.”

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He was supposed to be deported to Russia after being released, but the US authorities blocked the move after receiving an extradition request from France, where he is facing up to 20 years for the same charges.

Commenting on the situation, Ivan Melnikov, the vice president of the Russian branch of the International Committee for the Protection of Human Rights, told RT that Legkodymov’s decision to seek a presidential pardon was driven by concerns over double jeopardy.

Melnikov noted that being prosecuted twice for the same activities “violates all legal norms.” He argued that Legkodymov “is not a criminal,” but got caught up in a “political campaign against the crypto market and talented Russian programmers.”

According to Melnikov, hopes for clemency are buoyed by changing US attitudes towards the cryptomarket, illustrated by Trump’s recent decision to pardon Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the Silk Road dark web marketplace, as well as several BitMEX cryptocurrency exchange executives.

“There is hope for a return to a more balanced and fair approach to digital finance and for gradually improving dialogue between the US and Russia,” Melnikov said.

During Trump’s current term, Washington and Moscow have completed several prisoner exchanges. Last month, the Russian Embassy in the US said it is monitoring the Legkodymov case, and that he must be returned to his homeland.