Anatoly Legkodymov, a Russian citizen and former CEO of the cryptocurrency platform Bitzlato, allegedly sought a federal pardon from US President Donald Trump following a guilty plea in 2023 and a sentence of 18 months in prison.
As per a report from the Russian state-run media agency TASS released on Friday, Legkodymov’s legal representatives officially requested a presidential pardon from Trump after he admitted guilt for running an unlicensed money transmitting operation. Legkodymov was charged in January 2023, pleaded guilty in December, and was sentenced to time served in July 2024 after remaining in custody for approximately 18 months.
“Anatoly […] has become a target in a political agenda aimed at the cryptocurrency market and skilled Russian developers,” stated Ivan Melnikov, vice president of the Russian division of the International Committee for Human Rights, according to TASS. “His request for a pardon is fueled by the hope that the US will adopt a more equitable and just stance on digital finance.”
According to his indictment, Legkodymov was involved in an operation that enabled the transfer of illegal funds through his position at Bitzlato. US officials claimed that hundreds of millions of dollars moved from Bitzlato to the dark web Hydra Marketplace, and the exchange obtained around $15 million linked to ransomware incidents.
Related: Binance founder CZ Zhao sought a pardon from Trump for money laundering conviction
French authorities were reportedly working to extradite Legkodymov to face similar allegations following his stay in the US. It remains uncertain whether Trump has received the pardon request or if he intends to act upon it.
Cointelegraph reached out to the White House for feedback but had not received a reply by the time of publication.
Pardons for figures in the crypto sector who admitted guilt or were convicted
Since assuming office in January, Trump has granted at least 58 presidential pardons. Among these was Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who faced two life sentences in federal prison, along with four former executives from the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX: Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, Gregory Dwyer, and Samuel Reed.
Former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao mentioned in May that he had filed for a pardon from Trump. Zhao pleaded guilty to one felony charge in November 2023 as part of a deal with US authorities and Binance. He spent four months in prison.
Reports indicated that former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was also attempting to obtain a federal pardon from Trump by featuring on conservative media and distancing himself from the Democratic Party. Bankman-Fried was sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2024 and was housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Terminal Island as of Friday.
Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflicts of interest, insider trading concerns
