Greek court fails to rule on Vinnik US extradition case

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS

A 38-year-old Russian man facing possible extradition to the U.S. on money-laundering charges amounting to $4 billion will remain in Greece for now.

Alexander Vinnik appeared in a Greek court in Thesssaloniki on Friday for a hearing to consider his extradition but the proceedings ended without a decision.

Vinnik was arrested in Greece last July on allegations of masterminding international money-laundering operations.

He was charged with laundering funds after allegedly hacking Japan-based Mt. Gox -- an earlier digital currency exchange that eventually failed, in part due to losses attributable to hacking, according to a Northern District of California indictment from July this year.

The U.S. Department of Justice in an announcement right after his arrest in July said Vinnik was “alleged to have committed and facilitated a wide range of crimes that go far beyond the lack of regulation of the bit coin exchange he operated.

“Through his actions, it is alleged that he stole identities, facilitated drug trafficking, and helped to launder criminal proceeds from syndicates around the world.”

Vinnik denies the charges.

If extradited to the United States, he faces up to 55 years in prison and thousands of dollars in fines.