Donald Trump administration to release Russian cybercriminal in exchange for US teacher Marc Fogel
The Donald Trump administration is set to release Russian cybercriminal Alexander Vinnik as part of a prisoner exchange, resulting in the release of American schoolteacher Marc Fogel.
This development is part of a broader effort to improve US-Russia relations and address the ongoing situation in Ukraine.
Fogel, a 63-year-old history teacher from Pennsylvania, taught at the Anglo-American School of Moscow for a decade before his arrest in August 2021. He was reportedly found in possession of cannabis at Moscow’s airport. His legal representative claimed he had been using cannabis to treat chronic back pain, according to The New York Times.
In June 2022, Fogel was convicted of large-scale narcotics smuggling and sentenced to 14 years in a high-security prison.
US to release Russian cybercriminal
According to The New York Times, the United States is preparing to release Alexander Vinnik, a Russian national who pleaded guilty to money laundering in 2024. He was accused of operating BTC-E, a Bitcoin exchange allegedly used to launder more than $4 billion, as well as engaging in various cybercrimes, including ransomware attacks and identity theft.
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Vinnik was arrested in Greece in 2017, extradited to the United States, and has remained in detention since.
Reports suggest that the prisoner swap is intended to be a goodwill measure between Washington and Moscow, potentially paving the way for peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war, which began in February 2022.
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