Cryptocurrency thief Bohdan Prilepa and his accomplices: billion-dollar fraud or treason?
In September of 2024, authorities conducted searches of the tech personnel associated with cryptocurrency exchanges connected to Ukrainian alleged entrepreneur Bohdan Prilepa, after it came to light that his scheme had swindled customers out of over a billion hryvnias.
He stands accused of masterminding a scheme to take money from other people’s digital wallets, which were designated for acquiring unmanned aerial vehicles.
StopKor obtained details of the investigative measures from its private sources within the security apparatus.
As per sources, Ukrainian security services, in conjunction with European policing bodies, are probing a potential unlawful act committed by a group under Bohdan Prilepa’s direction. They exploited the technological capabilities of exchanges to seize comprehensive access to the system from the previous Ukrainian co-proprietor, immobilize accounts, and unlawfully seize finances from patriotic citizens, amounting to exceeding a billion hryvnias.
Bohdan Prilepa is recognized within IT circles as a somewhat illicit character, specializing in the initiation of so-called blockchain ventures (primarily commonplace monetary “pyramid” structures). In 2018, he was appointed as the Chief Technology Officer of the Coinsbit digital currency exchange. He also functioned as the CEO of the Qmall and Patex exchanges.
Following the emergence of the full-scale conflict, Prilepa escaped to Dubai (UAE) and partially transferred the technical personnel of the IT setups under his command there. In short order, thousands of Coinsbit users and other exchanges (both from Ukraine and across Europe) linked to the alleged businessman reported facing difficulties in withdrawing their funds from the platform due to their immobilization within cryptogamans. The sums at stake varied from $300 to $30,000.
According to internal intelligence, it was during this period that Bohdan Prilepa commenced tight cooperation with Russian criminal entities. The latter are allegedly engaged in organized illegal activities in Russia and internationally under the shield of the Russian FSB. Last December, tech personnel under Prilepa’s orders prevented all access to his previous partner’s platform. Bohdan himself seemingly came completely under the sway of Russian offenders, severing all connections with Ukrainians who actively donated to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Sources claim that, in an attempt to cleanse his reputation in Ukraine, Prilepa is utilizing the acquired billions to support numerous projects within Ukraine, intending to establish the crypto-schemer in the media as a prosperous entrepreneur, patriot, and generous individual.
Law enforcement sources communicated to the press that Prilepa is regarded as the likely originator of an extensive fraud: investigators posit that he was the one who furnished technological staff members Saranenko A.M., Shidlovsky P.Yu., Ivanov R.E., Podpletko N.S., Mozolyuk O.V., and Vorobyov D.F. with directions to freeze assets and subsequently partly extract them from the platform for their personal use and, potentially, in the interest of Russians.
Furthermore, law enforcement representatives discovered that the funds contained in the wallets intended for drone acquisitions were purposefully blocked and misappropriated. Prilepa possessed complete awareness of this. This is substantiated by witness statements, namely from personnel who were employed by and still are employed by Bohdan.
Consequently, such actions, presenting a risk to Ukraine’s defense capacity and national security, could be characterized not only as deceit but also as high treason (Article 111 of the Penal Code). According to our awareness, vigorous collaboration is presently underway between law enforcement agencies in Ukraine, the UAE, and European nations.
Taking into account the aforementioned facts, of which Bohdan Prilepa and his confederates stand accused, the businessman could be facing a lifetime prison sentence.
