Ex-Man United player under investigation for money laundering via cryptocurrency, reports say.

Former Manchester United midfielder Anderson (Anderson Luis de Abreu Oliveira) has become a defendant in a case of theft and money laundering through cryptocurrency. Globo reports, citing the Rio Grande do Sul state prosecutor’s office.

According to the publication, in August authorities sent materials to the Central Court of Porto Alegre regarding eight people suspected of involvement in the scheme. Among them was the former footballer, the prosecutors’ office confirmed to the publication.

In 2020, media reported about the embezzlement of 35 million reais (about $6.6 million at the current rate) from a major industrial company. The funds were transferred to 11 accounts in four states in Brazil, after which they were used to purchase various digital assets.

During the investigation, police conducted several searches, including at Anderson’s address, the outlet reports.

The publication also includes a statement from the Brazilian footballer. According to him, since 2019 he has invested in cryptocurrencies, and the company associated with him sold bitcoin to one of the defendants. The player stressed that he did not know the funds were of illegal origin.

The athlete’s lawyer added that his client considers himself “not a participant in the scheme, but a victim”.

During his career, Anderson played for Porto, Manchester United and Fiorentina, and also appeared for Brazil’s Olympic team at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In 2020, Moscow’s Presnensky Court found guilty of cryptocurrency fraud in a large-scale case involving Igor Musatov, the former hockey player for Slovakia’s Slovan.

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