On June 9, 2025, federal prosecutors in Eastern District of New York unsealed a 22-count indictment charging New York resident Iurii Gugnin, a Russian national, with money laundering and other offenses in connection with his illegal operation of cryptocurrency companies Evita Investments, Inc. and Evita Pay, Inc. (collectively “Evita”). Gugnin is accused using Evita as a money laundering operation to move more than $500 million in overseas payments through U.S. banks and cryptocurrency exchanges, while concealing the source of the funds and true nature of the transactions.
According to the Indictment, Gugnin conspired with others to engage in an unlawful scheme that used Evita to facilitate nearly $2 billion worth of transactions, including approximately $530 million that was funneled through the United State between June 2023 and January 2025. After moving to the United States on or about July 29, 2022, Gugnin allegedly effectuated a scheme to facilitate payments for foreign customers, many of whom were in Russia. According to federal prosecutors, he lied to multiple U.S. banks and exchanges, informing them that he did not conduct business with entities in Russia and did not deal with sanctioned entities, all while processing transactions involving sanctioned Russian banks and enabling Russian end-users to procure sensitive U.S. technology. In 2023, Gugnin allegedly obtained a money transmitting license under false pretenses in the State of Florida in order to induce a cryptocurrency exchange to process transactions on his behalf. He is also accused of failing to file suspicious activity reports for the cryptocurrency operation and failing to establish an effective anti-money laundering compliance program, in violation of the Bank Secrecy Act.
The 22-count indictment formally charges Gugnin with a number of financial crimes, including wire and bank fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, money laundering, related conspiracy charges, and sanctions violations. Gugnin was reportedly arrested and arraigned in connection with these charges on June 9, 2025. He has entered a plea of not guilty on all counts, and a status conference has been set for July 9, 2025.
DOJ Press Release | Unsealed Indictment| Minute Entry for Criminal Proceeding