Another day, another Netflix true-crime documentary about crypto-criminals. This week’s doc is Biggest Heist Ever, which began streaming today.
Chris Smith, known for directing Bad Vegan and Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, is also the director of Biggest Heist Ever, a film that delves into the criminal activities of Ilya “Dutch” Lichtenstein and his wife Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan. The couple was implicated in the 2016 hacking of cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex, resulting in the theft of approximately 120,000 Bitcoin. Reports suggest that the Bitcoin was valued at $71 million during the incident and has since skyrocketed to almost $11 billion.
Following a comprehensive investigation, the FBI apprehended Lichtenstein and Morgan in 2022. While Lichtenstein admitted to the hacking and theft in court, Morgan claimed she was unaware of the theft until afterwards but later collaborated with her husband in attempting to launder the illicitly obtained funds.
The case garnered significant media coverage, particularly due to Morgan’s rap persona, Razzlekhan. Her musical endeavors were met with scrutiny and derision online, as audiences were quick to point out her perceived lack of skill in the genre. In a track dedicated to “entrepreneurs and hackers,” she boldly proclaims herself as the “crocodile of Wall Street.”
Both Lichtenstein and Morgan pled guilty to charges of theft and money laundering. So where are they now?
Ilya Lichtenstein is currently serving a five-year prison sentence, plus three years supervised release, in a prison in Virginia. Lichenstein’s sentence was only announced just a few weeks ago, on November 14, 2024. However, he has been in custody since his 2022 arrest, because a judge determined that he could be a flight risk, given his dual citizenship with both the U.S. and Russia.
Lichtenstein wrote Biggest Heist director Chris Smith a letter from jail, which read, “Thank you for your kind note. As you mentioned, I am unable to discuss the case at this time. I look forward to sharing my perspective when the time is right. As your instincts probably tell you, there is more to this story than meets the eye. Best of luck with your film, Ilya.”
Unlike Lichtenstein, Morgan was allowed to go free after her 2022 arrest, and continued to live in New York City. However, she will soon be behind bars. According to the documentary’s end credits note, on November 18, 2024, Heather Morgan was sentenced to 18 months in prison, and three years of supervised release. According to a report from CoinDesk, the judge on her case has given her until the end of January 2025 before she must report to prison.
Before her sentencing last month, Morgan continued to appear in public after her arrest. She even posted a video statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) on the day of her sentencing, in which she said, “I’m very excited that I will soon be telling my story, sharing my thoughts, and telling you more about the creative and other endeavors I’ve been working on. Razzle dazzle.”
My statement 🧞♀️#razzlekhan pic.twitter.com/janr9RD1Q2
— Heather “Razzlekhan” Morgan (@HeatherReyhan) November 18, 2024
A quick look at Morgan’s X account reveals she is still posting on social media in her last few weeks of freedom.
In a talking head interview for The Biggest Heist Ever, Vanity Fair reporter Nick Bilton criticized the court’s decision to allow Morgan to freely live her life after her 2022 arrest. “Now, on social media, we’re seeing these pictures of her attending crypto conferences?” Bilton said. “You have the biggest financial heist in human history, with all of these issues of national security we’ve heard about, and yet he’s the one in jail, and she’s just out having a grand ol’ time.”
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