Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia unveiled charges against two men, Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk, 37, and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, 25, for allegedly operating a major international bitcoin and cryptocurrency money laundering operation that processed nearly $400 million in illegal funds over the past five years. This action is part of a larger multinational law enforcement effort aimed at dismantling the group’s expansive criminal network across multiple continents.
Tkachuk, a Ukrainian national, and Ledenev, a Russian national, were apprehended in Batumi, Republic of Georgia, where they have been residing, as confirmed by U.S. Attorney David Metcalf of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Each individual faces serious charges: conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and engaging in money laundering, with potential maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison.
According to prosecutors, Tkachuk and Ledenev were key figures in an organization referred to as “AudiA6.” This group operated a cryptocurrency mixing service and managed a cybercrime forum named Dark2Web, where users could negotiate various types of cybercrimes for payment. Since its inception in 2021, AudiA6 reportedly accepted approximately 10,333 Bitcoin—valued at roughly $389.7 million during the transactions—while earning around $10 million in commission fees by charging clients up to 5% per transaction.
Investigators traced about 393 Bitcoin, worth around $19.2 million, directly back to known darknet markets, ransomware groups, and other illegal sources, while additional funds flowed in indirectly from various criminal actors. Despite claims from AudiA6 to clients that the mixed funds would be untraceable, blockchain analysis demonstrated that transactions could indeed be tracked through exchange records.
The case is significantly bolstered by undercover operations conducted over several months, specifically from December 2022 to May 2026. These operations involved FBI and Secret Service agents posing as criminals looking to launder proceeds derived from scams and narcotics. In one revealing interaction, an AudiA6 operator responded nonchalantly when asked if stolen Bitcoin was acceptable, stating, “don’t care.” In another instance, when questioned about the risks of drug sale proceeds, the operator maintained that “Everything like that needs to go through a mixer.”
The arrests form part of a coordinated international crackdown that included collaboration from multiple agencies, such as the U.S. Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Europol, and law enforcement partners from various countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Authorities executed searches at three properties, seized digital devices, froze cryptocurrency assets, and blocked associated Telegram accounts. Furthermore, the AudiA6 and Dark2Web websites were replaced with law enforcement seizure banners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced plans to seek the extradition of Tkachuk and Ledenev to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for trial. The prosecution of this complex case will be led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Sima Kazmir, ensuring that the legal repercussions of this extensive money laundering scheme are thoroughly pursued.
