Liberty Reserve founder pleads not guilty, faces up to 30 years

The "principal founder" of shuttered online marketplace Liberty Reserve, Arthur Budovsky, has pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit Money Laundering Money Laundering Money laundering is a blanket term to describe the process by which criminals disguise the original ownership and proceeds of criminal conduct by making such proceeds appear to be derived from a legitimate source.Money laundering is an issue that traverses countless industries and sectors, which includes the financial services space. Though criminal money may be successfully laundered without the assistance of the financial sector, billions of dollars’ worth of criminally derived money are laund Money laundering is a blanket term to describe the process by which criminals disguise the original ownership and proceeds of criminal conduct by making such proceeds appear to be derived from a legitimate source.Money laundering is an issue that traverses countless industries and sectors, which includes the financial services space. Though criminal money may be successfully laundered without the assistance of the financial sector, billions of dollars’ worth of criminally derived money are laund Read this Term, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transferring business and operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

Budovsky entered his plea four days after being extradited to the US from Spain earlier this month. District Judge Denise Cote set a trial date for September 21, 2015. US attorney Andrew Goldstein estimated that the trial would take four weeks. Budovsky's lawyer made no application for bail.

Prosecutors allege that the site helped users launder proceeds from crimes and transfer funds between associates, thereby evading the watch of authorities over the banking system. Funds originated from crimes including identity theft, credit card fraud, computer hacking, child pornography and narcotics trafficking.

A system of Liberty Reserve dollars or euros, mirroring their real-world counterparts, was used as the marketplace's currency. Like with Bitcoin Bitcoin While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that While some may still be wondering what is Bitcoin, who created Bitcoin, or how does Bitcoin work, one thing is certain: Bitcoin has changed the world.No one can remain indifferent to this revolutionary, decentralized, digital asset nor to its blockchain technology.In fact, we’ve gone a long way ever since a Florida resident Laszlo Hanyecz made BTC’s first official commercial transaction with a real company by trading 10,000 Bitcoins for 2 pizzas at his local Papa John’s.One could now argue that Read this Term, transactions were "100% irrevocable".

Last month, the marketplace's former IT manager, Maxim Chukharev, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

Budovsky and Chukharev are two of five arrested in connection with the operation. Another two remain at large in Costa Rica, where the operation was based. Budovsky renounced his US citizenship and became a citizen of Costa Rica by marrying a snack vendor in a bid to avoid extradition.