- Hamilton pleaded to be tried in the UK as he did not commit fraud in the US
- Codefendant avoided extradition on grounds of human rights
The British national Christopher Hamilton, who is accused of wire fraud and money laundering in relation to the OneCoin scam, lost his plea to avoid extradition to the US today, Law360 reported.
Hamilton pleaded to be tried in the UK as he did not commit fraud in the US. His plea was rejected by UK District Judge Nicholas Rimmer, who wrote:
Wherever victims are based, it is in their interests for perpetrators involved to be prosecuted rather than not to be. This factor weighs in favor of extradition.
Secretary of State to make final decision
If Hamilton decides to file an appeal, the extradition might not be final. The final decision will be made by the Secretary of State.
Codefendant avoided extradition on grounds of human rights
Codefendant Robert McDonald’s plea to avoid extradition was not rejected because he is his ill wife’s primary caregiver. What’s more, the judge found he would commit suicide if he were extradited, according to the Law360 report.
In addition, he stated that there was no apparent evidence MacDonald stood to gain anything material.
McDonald and Hamilton laundered $105m
Allegedly, McDonald and Hamilton laundered $105 million of the global OneCoin scam, perpetrated by Ruja Ignatova, who’s now on the FBI Most Wanted list. The total damages from the scam amount to $4 billion.
Millions of dollars were sent to accounts of the entity Viola Asset Management, which was controlled by Hamilton, and this justifies the US extradition proceedings. McDonald was Viola’s compliance officer.
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