The trial of the alleged launderer of $4 billion value of Bitcoin (BTC), Alexander Vinnik, received underway in Paris on Oct 19.

Nevertheless, regardless of reported hyperlinks to the 300,000 BTC hack of Mt. Gox in 2014, prosecutors are specializing in a €135 million ($159 million) ransomware fraud focusing on French companies and organizations between 2016 and 2018.

In line with AP News, Russian nationwide Vinnik is being charged with extortion, cash laundering and felony affiliation after 20 victims of the “Locky” malware paid the ransom in Bitcoin by way of BTC-e.

Vinnik is alleged to be one of many creators of the malware, and the previous operator of the now shuttered cryptocurrency alternate, though he claims that he was solely a technical guide at BTC-e and had no data of any wrongdoing.

If discovered responsible, Vinnik faces as much as 10 years in jail.

As Cointelegraph reported, Vinnik was initially arrested in Greece in 2017 on the behest of United States authorities.

There adopted a authorized tug-of-war, with prosecutors from France, the U.S. and Russia all petitioning for his extradition. Vinnik himself expressed a desire to be extradited to Russia, the place he faces lesser expenses.

Earlier this 12 months, Greek authorities dominated that he can be extradited firstly to France, then the united statesand lastly to Russia

Even following his extradition to France, Russian authorities unsuccessfully requested that he be allowed to return to his house nation below home arrest.

If tried within the U.S. in future Vinnik is more likely to face expenses associated to the $4 billion hack of Mt. Gox. The 300,000 BTC stolen within the hack had been allegedly laundered by way of the BTC-e alternate and Vinnik’s personal private pockets.