Chief Russian investigator accused of accepting record 1,032 bitcoin bribe
A group of hackers allegedly bribed a Russian official investigating their case with a record sum of 1,032 bitcoin worth $28 million, prompting his swift suspension while his case goes to court. Marat Tambiev has worked for the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) since 2011. He held major roles across Russian investigative departments before becoming head of the Tverskoy district of Moscow’s investigative department. Tambiev allegedly received the hefty bribe on April 7, 2022 from hacking group Infraud Organization Mark. Its members, Kirill Samokutyaevsky and Konstantin Bergmanov, were under investigation in Russia during that time. According to a lawsuit brought to the Nikulinsky District Court of Moscow, Tambiev took the bitcoin bribe from the pair on the condition that the group’s illegally obtained assets wouldn’t be confiscated. This meant that Samokutyaevsky and Bergmanov evaded jail time. When the alleged bribe was first discovered in early 2023, the 1,032 ...