HashFlare Founders Ordered to Leave U.S. Despite Court Ruling

The founders of the cloud mining service HashFlare, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turygin, have received notifications from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) demanding they leave the country, contrary to court instructions. This was reported by their lawyers.

In November 2022, the entrepreneurs were arrested by Estonian authorities at the request of the FBI. The charges included 18 counts, among them cryptocurrency fraud amounting to $575 million and money laundering.

In May 2024, Potapenko and Turygin were extradited to the United States. In July, a judge released both on bail with the condition that they remain within the boundaries of King County, Washington, while awaiting their court hearing scheduled for August 14, 2025.

According to their lawyers, in early April, the HashFlare founders received messages from DHS demanding they immediately leave the U.S. under threat of criminal prosecution.

“It is time for you to leave the United States. Do not attempt to remain in the United States—the federal government will find you. Please leave the U.S. immediately,” the letter quoted by Potapenko and Turygin’s lawyers stated.

The lawyers stated that the prosecution then contacted the department to extend their clients’ allowable stay in the country and to resolve the misunderstanding.

On April 11, Turygin received another notification from DHS with the same text. The defense representatives stated they “do not doubt the sincerity of the prosecutors” regarding their efforts to resolve the issue but are concerned about potential detention.

“We and our clients have seen the recent news. Immigration authorities make mistakes, and individuals who should not be in custody end up detained, sometimes even deported to places they should not be sent,” the lawyers added.

According to the text of their letter to U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik of the Western District of Washington, if the situation is not resolved, the defense will request intervention or an additional hearing with DHS representatives.

Earlier, in Brazil, the organizer of a crypto pyramid was sentenced to 128 years in prison.