A lawyer representing one of the co-founders of crypto mining service Hashflare has addressed the criminal case’s progression after the pair received “self-deport” letters from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In an April 11 filing in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington, Hashflare co-founders Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin reported they had received a DHS letter directing them to “leave the United States” as part of a push by the Trump administration to effect mass deportations. The government letter contradicted orders from Judge Robert Lasnik, who restricted travel for Potapenko and Turogin as part of their bail conditions. In February, the Estonian nationals pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud as part of a deal with authorities. Potapenko and Turogin were responsible for defrauding Hashflare users out of more than $550 million between 2015 and 2019. They also raised $25 million from investors in 2017, claiming they would establish a digital bank called Polybius, which was never created. Indicted in October 2022, Potapenko and Turogin were arrested and held in Estonia before their extradition to the US in May 2024. Both have been free on bail since July 2024 but could face up to 20 years in prison each at sentencing. The DHS letters ordering certain people to “depart the United States immediately” were reportedly sent to thousands of immigrants who had used the government’s CBP One app to enter the country legally. Some citizens reported receiving the same letter in President Donald Trump’s attempts to effect deportations through his office. Stay updated with the latest news on legal cases involving crypto.