TLDR
- U.S. prosecutors charged two alleged AudiA6 crypto laundering operators.
- AudiA6 allegedly processed about 10,333 BTC since 2021.
- The transactions were valued at roughly $389.7M when processed.
- The defendants were arrested in Batumi, Georgia, after a global operation.
- Each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
U.S. authorities have charged two alleged operators of a cryptocurrency laundering service accused of processing more than $389 million in illicit digital asset transactions through a network known as AudiA6.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania said Ruslan Igorevich Tkachuk and Alexander Vladimirovich Ledenev were arrested in Batumi, Georgia, following a coordinated international operation. Prosecutors said the United States will seek their extradition.
The defendants each face one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and one count of sting money laundering. If convicted, each could face up to 20 years in prison, although the charges remain allegations unless proven in court.
DOJ Says AudiA6 Processed 10,333 BTC Since 2021
According to federal prosecutors, AudiA6 received about 10,333 Bitcoin since 2021. The deposits were valued at roughly $389.7 million at the time of the transactions.
The Justice Department said the service allegedly handled funds linked to darknet markets, ransomware groups, cybercrime services, scams, and other illicit sources. Blockchain analysis cited in the complaint found that 393.39 BTC, worth about $19.2 million, came directly from darknet markets, major ransomware groups, and cybercrime services.
That direct flow represented under 4% of all AudiA6 deposits. Investigators said additional funds reached the platform indirectly after being moved through other wallets or services, a pattern often associated with layering transactions before they enter a laundering network.
Authorities described AudiA6 as a service that advertised itself on darknet forums as a crypto mixer and exchange. The complaint said the operators used language such as “dirty” and “clean” crypto and promoted services designed to remove blockchain links connected to criminal activity.
Undercover Agents Tested Laundering Service
The complaint described undercover operations carried out between 2022 and 2026. In one alleged interaction, undercover agents told AudiA6 operators that they wanted to mix funds connected to ransomware activity.
Prosecutors said the service agreed to process the transaction and returned cryptocurrency after taking a commission. The Justice Department said AudiA6 charged fees of up to 5% for laundering services.
In another undercover exchange cited by investigators, agents allegedly asked whether stolen ETH from scams could be mixed through the platform. According to the complaint, AudiA6 responded, “yes, no problem.”
Investigators also alleged that AudiA6 marketed low anti-money-laundering risk scores as a feature of its service. The complaint said the operation promised that laundered funds would carry an AML risk score below 25%, a level investigators said some exchanges use when reviewing suspicious transactions.
Federal authorities argued that the service was designed to help users bypass exchange compliance systems. Prosecutors said that by lowering apparent risk scores, AudiA6 allegedly turned exchanges into unwitting channels for laundering activity.
International Operation Seizes Crypto Infrastructure
The takedown involved the U.S. Secret Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, Europol, Eurojust, and law enforcement partners in multiple countries, including Germany, France, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, and Georgia.
Authorities seized servers and domains in several jurisdictions, blocked Telegram accounts, froze crypto assets, and seized digital devices. The AudiA6 and Dark2Web websites now display seizure banners, following a pattern used in previous darknet and crypto laundering enforcement actions.
Prosecutors also alleged that Tkachuk, 37, and Ledenev, 25, helped manage Dark2Web, a cybercrime forum where AudiA6 advertised its services. The complaint portrayed the network as broader than a basic mixer, citing darknet forums, escrow tools, Telegram channels, Tor websites, exchange services, and cross-chain conversion infrastructure.
The case comes as U.S. authorities continue targeting digital asset laundering channels. In June 2025, the Justice Department filed a civil forfeiture action involving about $225.3 million in USDT tied to investment fraud schemes. FBI data from 2025 also recorded $389 million in reported losses from crypto ATM and kiosk fraud, up 58% year over year across 13,460 complaints.
Extradition proceedings in Georgia will determine when the defendants may appear in a U.S. courtroom.
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