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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Edward Helmore in New York

‘Heist of the century’: US bitcoin case tests ability to crack down on cybercrime

Attorney Samson Enzer, center, sits between Heather Morgan, left, and her husband, Ilya ‘Dutch’ Lichtenstein, in New York, as seen in a courtroom sketch.
Attorney Samson Enzer, center, sits between Heather Morgan, left, and her husband, Ilya ‘Dutch’ Lichtenstein, in New York, as seen in a courtroom sketch. Photograph: Elizabeth Williams/AP

The prosecution of a New York husband and wife arrested last week on suspicion of stealing $3.6bn in bitcoin in what has been described as “the heist of the century” may test US authorities’ ability to crack down on cybercrime.

It may also test the bounds of believability as more and more colorful – and downright bizarre – details emerge of the couple at the heart of the saga which seems to lie at an unlikely nexus between the cryptocurrency, rap, self-help advice and New York eccentricity.

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