US to release Russian Alexander Vinnik as part of exchange that freed Fogel - New York Times

FILE PHOTO: Alexander Vinnik, a 38 year old Russian man suspected of running a money laundering operation using bitcoin, is escorted by police officers while leaving a court in Thessaloniki, Greece, October 4, 2017. REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis/File Photo

(Reuters) - The United States will release Russian Alexander Vinnik, a suspected cybercrime kingpin, as part of an exchange with Russia that freed Marc Fogel, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

Vinnik operated BTC-e, once one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges. He was arrested in 2017 and detained at Washington's request on suspicion of laundering $4 billion through the exchange. In May, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and faced 20 years in prison.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Doina Chiacu)