The alleged UK OneCoin money launderer Christopher Hamilton will be extradited from the UK to the US. District Judge Nicolas Rimmer rejected Hamilton’s request to hold off extradition to the U.S., where he is accused along with Robert McDonald of laundering $105 million for the $4 billion OneCoin crypto fraud scheme operated by the fugitive Bulgarian CryptoQueen Ruja Ignatova. Judge Rimmer noted that UK Police terminated their OneCoin investigation, and “there appears to be no indication, still less certainty, of a prosecution here in the U.K.”
Christopher Hamilton has the right to appeal, after which the decision still needs to be signed off on by the UK’s Secretary of State. Robert McDonald avoided extradition on humanitarian grounds.
District Judge Nicolas Rimmer rejected Christopher Hamilton’s request to hold off extradition to the U.S. where he is accused along with Robert McDonald of laundering $105 million for the $4 billion crypto fraud scheme OneCoin operated by the fugitive Bulgarian CryptoQueen Ruja Ignatova.
Th judge found that extrading him would infringe his human right to respect for family. Robert McDonalds is the carer for his ill wife who suffers from progressive multiple sclerosis, and has expressed “clar and genuine” suicidal intent, in the event her husband would be extradited. Article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights includes the right of respect for private family and family life. The separation from his wife yould be extremely harsh in the light of her poor health, the judge said.
The U.S. extradition proceedings relate to millions of dollars paid by Gilbert Armenta, an US citizen, who was very close to Ruja Ignatova. Rumors said, he had a romantical relationship with her. U.S. prosecutor accuse Hamilton and McDonalds also with the stealing of $32 million belonging to Armenta, who is a “professional money launderer,” according to the U.S. prosecutors.
