The founder of the OneCoin cryptocurrency pyramid, Ruja Ignatova, was killed in November 2018 on a yacht in the Ionian Sea. The project BIRD reports this, citing documents from the Bulgarian police.
According to the publication, as part of an investigation unrelated to OneCoin into the murder of a police officer, reports from several informants came into the hands of law enforcement.
Journalists gained access to these papers. In a conversation with BIRD, Sofia’s deputy prosecutor Hristo Krastev confirmed that the documents in question had indeed been seized. He noted, however, that his office does not regard the materials as evidence.
“They [the informant reports] are not documents, as they lack author data, there is no signature on them, and they are not specific written statements by a particular person”, said Krastev.
According to the published report, Ignatova was killed on the orders of a certain Christoforos Amanatidis, whom BIRD calls a “drug lord”. This allegedly was disclosed by a police informant.
According to the informant, while intoxicated, one of Amanatidis’s relatives told his friends about Ignatova’s murder. He allegedly said that ‘the boss took steps to make Ruja disappear’.
Journalists suspect the crime was committed to conceal the link between Amanatidis and Ignatova.
In 2014, Ruja Ignatova, together with Sebastian Greenwood, founded the OneCoin financial pyramid. The project was initially pitched as a high-yield cryptocurrency, with investors earning profits not only from appreciation of the asset but also for recruiting new participants.
In November 2019, a judge in the Southern District of New York found OneCoin lawyer Mark Scott guilty of laundering nearly $400 million. Ignatova was charged in absentia in the United States. Her whereabouts have been unknown since 2017.
In the spring of 2019, Konstantin Ignatov, the founder’s brother, was detained at Los Angeles International Airport. He subsequently pleaded guilty to several counts.
The U.S. government secured a postponement of Ignatov’s sentencing, stating that cooperation with him has not yet concluded.
In August 2021, Italian authorities charged 14 people connected with OneCoin with aggravated fraud. According to law enforcement, through local banks in support of the pyramid, transactions totaling around €11 million were processed.
In spring 2022, Europol added Ignatova to the list of the most wanted criminals and offered a reward of up to €5,000 for information about her.
Later, the founder of OneCoin was included in a similar FBI list.