In a statement prior to his arrival back in the U.S., the Fogel family also praised Trump’s “unwavering leadership.” “We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home.
Prosecutors previously alleged that Vinnik may also have laundered money for Russian nation-state hackers, including the group Fancy Bear – which was found to have interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
On Tuesday evening, Fogel, who had been held in Russian prison for three years on drug related charges, returned to the U.S. After touching down he hailed the president as a “hero” and said he would be “forever indebted to him.”.
A bitcoin money launderer, who prosecutors connected to the 2016 Russian interference in the U.S. election, has been released by Donald Trump in exchange for American school teacher Marc Fogel.
After the alleged links were reported, Russia pushed harder for Vinnik to be returned to Russia, prompting some to suspect ties between his company and Russian state espionage.
