The recent sentencing of Irina Dilkinska, the former head of legal and compliance for OneCoin, marks another significant development in the ongoing saga of the $4 billion cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Dilkinska, a Bulgarian national, pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and money laundering in 2023. Her involvement in the scheme included aiding executives in laundering hundreds of millions of dollars in fraud proceeds. Alongside her sentencing to four years in prison, she was also ordered to forfeit $111.4 million.
Prosecutors revealed that rather than ensuring OneCoin operated within legal bounds, Dilkinska actively participated in its day-to-day operations. Following the collapse of the scheme in 2016, she collaborated with American lawyer Mark Scott to funnel $400 million to the Cayman Islands. Scott, a former partner at Locke Lord, received a 10-year prison sentence for his involvement.
Dilkinska’s sentencing adds to the list of OneCoin executives held accountable for their roles in the scam. Co-founders Ruja Ignatova and Karl Greenwood have faced significant legal consequences, with Greenwood sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to forfeit $300 million. However, Ignatova, known as the “Cryptoqueen,” remains at large, with speculation ranging from plastic surgery to rumors of her death. Despite ongoing efforts, bringing Ignatova to justice remains uncertain, leaving many questions unanswered in one of the most notorious cryptocurrency scams to date.
