The former head of legal and compliance for the notorious OneCoin fraud scheme, Irina Dilkinska, has been sentenced to four years in jail by United States District Judge Edgardo Ramos. This decision comes after Dilkinska admitted to her involvement in laundering millions of dollars through the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme. The sentencing occurred on April 3, as confirmed by a U.S. Attorney’s Office statement.
Sentence and restitution
In addition to her four-year jail term, Dilkinska has been ordered to serve one month of supervised release and forfeit a staggering $111 million as restitution. Judge Ramos dismissed Dilkinska’s plea to avoid incarceration, emphasizing her awareness of the legal ramifications of her actions throughout her tenure within the fraudulent operation.
In his statement, Judge Ramos underscored Dilkinska’s intelligence and culpability, asserting that she had ample opportunity to disassociate herself from the illicit activities of the Ponzi scheme. He expressed bewilderment over her continued involvement, given her understanding of the scheme’s illegal nature. Dilkinska’s failure to distance herself earlier from the fraudulent operation was a point of contention for Judge Ramos, who deemed her fully conscious of the consequences.
Plea and charges
Dilinska entered a guilty plea to wire fraud and money laundering charges in a Manhattan federal court on November 10. Both charges carried a maximum sentence of five years, potentially resulting in a cumulative sentence of 10 years. Her acknowledgment of guilt solidified her culpability in facilitating the criminal activities of the OneCoin fraud scheme.
Dilkinska joins a roster of OneCoin executives who have faced legal repercussions for their involvement in the fraudulent enterprise. Notably, Karl Sebastian Greenwood, the scheme’s co-founder, was sentenced to a lengthy 20-year prison term on September 12 of the preceding year. Greenwood faced fraud and money laundering charges and was directed to pay $300 million in restitution.
The sentencing of Irina Dilkinska marks another significant development in the legal pursuit of justice against those implicated in the OneCoin fraud scheme. With each conviction, authorities continue dismantling the elaborate network that perpetrated one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history. The severity of Dilkinska’s sentence underscores the gravity of her role in enabling financial deception on a global scale.
