The Sofia city prosecutor's office accused the crypto queen Ruzha Ignatova of money laundering.< /p>
She has been missing since 2017. 2 months ago, the chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov, at a briefing with the head of DANS Plamen Tonchev and the US ambassador to our country Kenneth Merten, announced that the prosecutor's office will charge Ruzha and seize her property in Bulgaria.
Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (SGP) brought the German citizen of Bulgarian origin Ruzha Ignatova as a defendant in pre-trial proceedings initiated in connection with materials received from foreign law enforcement agencies.
Ignatova is charged as a defendant for having formed and led an organized criminal group on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria in the period from 2014 to 2017, created for the purpose of committing investment fraud under the scheme of the " Ponzi" as well as for a selfish purpose, the prosecutor's office wrote.
Ruža Ignatova is also accused of money laundering - for the fact that in the period from 2014 to 2017, under the conditions of a continuing crime, as an instigator and abettor in some cases, and in others as a perpetrator, carried out numerous transactions for property disposal. In this way, the origin and actual rights to property, which she knew were acquired by criminal activity - "Ponzi" type investment frauds, were concealed, and the acts were carried out in fulfillment of a decision of the organized criminal group, the property was particularly large and the case is particularly severe.
The specified crime is punishable by imprisonment from 5 to 15 years and a fine. The accused has been ordered to be detained for up to 72 hours, which will be carried out when she is found.
On June 26, 2024, in the Courthouse in Sofia, i.f. Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Bulgaria Borislav Sarafov and the Ambassador of the United States of America to Bulgaria H.E. Kenneth Merten made a statement in connection with the joint investigation against the criminal activity of the German citizen of Bulgarian origin Ruzha Ignatova and the financial pyramid "OneCoin" led by her.
I.f. chief prosecutor Borislav Sarafov emphasized the need for cooperation of the law enforcement authorities of individual countries in countering crimes that “accumulate significant financial and material assets acquired through criminal means".
For his part, the US ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. Kenneth Merten said the US government has announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Ruzha Ignatova, who is being investigated for one of the largest fraud schemes in history for over 4 billion US dollars.