In a recent legal move, John Buza, representing Irinia Dilkinska, the former “head of legal and compliance” for the infamous OneCoin cryptocurrency scheme, has sought leniency from a U.S. court.
Dilkinska admitted to her involvement in the OneCoin fraud, pleading guilty to both conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering in November 2023.
These admissions came as part of the fallout from the OneCoin scandal, a cryptocurrency operation unveiled as a sham in 2015, which bilked investors of an estimated $4 billion.
The request for leniency was made in a sentencing memorandum filed on March 20 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Buza’s plea centered on the argument that further incarceration for Dilkinska was unnecessary, citing her unique situation and the hardships she faces.
“I respectfully submits that any sentence more than time-served would be greater that necessary,” Buza emphasized, advocating for a sentence of time served as fitting and appropriate given the circumstances.
Dilkinska’s involvement with OneCoin connected her with co-founders Karl Sebastian Greenwood and Ruja Ignatova, the latter notoriously dubbed the “Cryptoqueen.”
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While Greenwood has been sentenced to 20 years in prison with a $300 million restitution order, Ignatova remains elusive, with her whereabouts unknown.
The gravity of Dilkinska’s potential sentence under U.S. law could lead to a decade behind bars, a fate already met by Mark Scott, another OneCoin lawyer found guilty of related charges and sentenced to 10 years in January.
Ahead of Dilkinska’s sentencing, her defense submitted character letters, highlighting her exemplary behavior in detention and her importance as a family figure, to bolster their case for leniency.
In a related judgment, Konstantin Ignatov, brother of the still-absent Ignatova, received a sentence for time served after 34 months in custody, having pled guilty to money laundering and fraud in 2019.
This precedent forms part of the context in which Dilkinska’s legal team seeks a similar outcome, arguing against the additional imprisonment for Dilkinska to avoid “a massive injustice,” as Buza stated, emphasizing her role as a “loving wife and mother.”
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