"Just over a year after being sentenced to five years in prison for the theft of billions of dollars in Bitcoin, hacker Ilya Lichtenstein is free. Lichtenstein announced his release in a post on X, specifically crediting Trump: "Thanks to President Trump's First Step Act, I have been released from prison early. I remain committed to making a positive impact in cybersecurity as soon as I can.""
"The First Step Act Lichtenstein referenced is a criminal justice reform bill passed in 2018 during the first Trump administration and expands options for early release, such as earned time credits. A Trump administration official confirmed the early release in a statement to CNBC, claiming that Lichtenstein "has served significant time on his sentence and is currently on home confinement consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies.""
Ilya Lichtenstein was released early after serving part of a five-year sentence for the theft of billions of dollars in Bitcoin. He credited President Trump's First Step Act for the early release and said he intends to make a positive impact in cybersecurity. The First Step Act, passed in 2018, expands options for early release including earned time credits. A Trump administration official stated Lichtenstein has served significant time and is on home confinement consistent with statute and Bureau of Prisons policies. Heather Morgan, charged in the laundering scheme, received an 18-month sentence and also appears to have been released early. Morgan and Lichtenstein were arrested in 2022 and are the subjects of a Netflix docuseries and an upcoming film.
Read at The Verge
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