U.S. Charges AudiA6 Operators with Laundering $389M in Crypto

U.S. authorities have charged two alleged operators of a cryptocurrency laundering service accused of processing over $389 million in illicit digital asset transactions.

The defendants, Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev, were arrested in Batumi, Georgia, following a coordinated international operation led by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

AudiA6 allegedly received about 10,333 Bitcoin since 2021, valued at roughly $389.7 million at the time of the transactions. The service advertised itself on darknet forums as a crypto mixer and exchange, using language such as 'dirty' and 'clean' crypto to promote its services.

Undercover agents tested AudiA6's laundering capabilities between 2022 and 2026, with the service agreeing to process transactions and returning cryptocurrency after taking a commission of up to 5%.