US Trial For Russian Businessman Vinnik Set To Begin February 5 - Lawyer

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th June, 2023) The Federal trial for Russian businessman Alexander Vinnik, who is accused of financial crimes in the United States, is set to begin February 5, his defense attorney David Rizk confirmed to Sputnik.

The US government accuses Vinnik of enabling criminal activity through his cryptocurrency platform BTC-e by obscuring and anonymizing transactions and sources of funds. Vinnik denies the charges against him.

Vinnik's legal team met with federal prosecutors earlier on Friday to determine the trial date.

His legal team previously expected his trial to begin in the fall.

The Russian national's trial will take place in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, which is located in San Francisco.

Last month, Rizk said Vinnik would like to be considered for a potential US-Russia prisoner exchange deal in the future as the United States seeks to achieve a deal with Russia for the return of US nationals Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan.