Russian Embassy Seeks Updates on Extradited WEX CEO Dmitry Vasiliev

The Russian Embassy in Washington DC has formally requested the US State Department to provide updates on Dmitry Vasiliev, the former CEO of the crypto exchange WEX. The embassy is closely monitoring the situation surrounding Vasiliev, who was extradited to the US from Poland at the request of American authorities. The embassy has specifically asked for information regarding Vasiliev’s location, health condition, and procedural status, emphasizing the urgency of the matter.

The embassy has also demanded that Russian consular officers be granted access to meet with Vasiliev, citing the terms of the 1964 Bilateral Consular Convention. This request comes as Vasiliev faces serious legal challenges in the US. Vasiliev, along with others, established WEX as a successor to the BTC-e exchange, which ceased trading in 2018, leaving numerous customers unable to access their funds worth nearly $0.5 billion.

Vasiliev’s legal team at the European Court of Human Rights recently informed Russian reporters that their client was deported from Warsaw in 2024. At the time, Vasiliev was wanted in the US on charges of masterminding a criminal fraud and money laundering network. The lawyers stated that Vasiliev was extradited to the US as part of a criminal case involving Alexander Vinnik, the former finance chief of BTC-e. Vinnik was accused of laundering billions through the now-defunct BTC-e exchange and was extradited to the US in August 2022 after being arrested by Greek police in 2017.

In February of this year, Vinnik was released in a prisoner swap with American teacher Marc Fogel, and all charges against him were subsequently dropped by US prosecutors. Vasiliev’s legal team has indicated that he could face up to 25 years in prison, with prosecutors bringing two separate charges against the former exchange chief. The embassy has stated that once it receives information about Vasiliev, it will immediately contact him and provide the necessary consular and legal assistance.