OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova added to Europol’s most-wanted list

The European Union’s law enforcement agency Europol included the founder of the OneCoin pyramid, Ruja Ignatova, in the list of most-wanted criminals. The corresponding information has been posted on the agency’s website.

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Ignatova’s file states that she is charged with fraud, “including against the financial interests of the European Communities in accordance with the Convention of 26 July 1995.”

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“For valuable information leading to the arrest of the criminal, a reward of up to €5,000 is offered. … The reward is intended solely for private individuals, not for public officials whose professional duty includes pursuing criminal acts,” according to Europol’s site.

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According to the agency, Ignatova has been at large since 25 October 2017.

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Ruja Ignatova founded the OneCoin pyramid scheme in 2014 together with Sebastian Greenwood.

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The project was initially positioned as a high-yield cryptocurrency, with investors earning profits not only from asset appreciation but also from recruiting new participants.

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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 the United States in absentia.

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In March 2019, Konstantin Ignatov, the founder’s brother, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport. He later pleaded guilty to several counts; he faced up to 90 years in prison.

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The U.S. government secured a postponement of Ignatova’s sentencing, stating that cooperation with him is not yet complete.

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One of the defendants in the investors’ class-action against the pyramid’s organizers was the financial holding Bank of New York Mellon.

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In August 2021, Italian authorities charged 14 people connected with OneCoin with fraud with aggravating circumstances. According to law enforcement, transactions totaling around €11 million passed through local banks in favour of the pyramid. About €5 million of that was raised by promoters from about 3,700 residents of South Tyrol.

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In October, media reported finding Ignatova’s London penthouse for £13.5 million.

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