Russian National Vinnik Will Remain In Custody Prior To September 27 Hearing - US Judge

SAN FRANCISCO (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th August, 2022) Detained Russian national Alexander Vinnik will be held in custody until his next legal hearing on September 27, a US District Court for Northern California judge said on Monday.

Vinnik is accused of financial crimes by US authorities, including money laundering through his cryptocurrency trading platform BTC-e. Prosecutors allege the platform enabled criminal activity by obscuring and anonymizing transactions and sources of funds.

Vinnik's next hearing will take place on September 27 at 9:30 a.m. (13:30 GMT), prior to which he will remain in custody under the US Marshals, Judge Sallie Kim said during a hearing, according to a Sputnik correspondent reporting from the courthouse.

Vinnik faces upwards of 50 years in prison if convicted on the charges, which he denies.

Assistant Federal Public Defender David Rizk will represent Vinnik during the case.

Neither prosecution nor defense teams shared comments with Sputnik following the hearing.

Vinnik was extradited to the United States from Greece earlier this month, outraging officials in Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakhorava objected to the transfer over concerns Vinnik would be subject to "punitive justice" by the US.

Greek authorities detained Vinnik in 2017 on the request of the US government. However, Vinnik was initially extradited to France, where he was sentenced to five years in prison and fined $119,433. Vinnik was later returned to Greece before being taken to the US on a private plane.