Heather Morgan, who gained notoriety as the rapper “Razzlekhan,” is seeking to reduce her prison sentence as she awaits sentencing for her involvement in the laundering of stolen Bitcoin from the cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. In a motion filed in a Washington, DC federal court, her legal team urged the court to consider her requests for a sentence of time served, highlighting her compliance with pretrial conditions and the challenges she faced while incarcerated, including recovery from surgery and a bout with COVID-19.
Morgan, who has pled guilty to charges of money laundering and fraud in an agreement reached in August 2023, faces a potential maximum sentence of ten years. The case centers around her facilitating the laundering of 120,000 Bitcoin , valued at approximately $8.2 billion, taken unlawfully by her husband, Ilya Lichtenstein. Prosecutors have proposed a lenient sentence of 18 months, citing Morgan’s role as a “lower-level participant” and her significant cooperation with ongoing investigations.
The prosecution has pointed to her circumstances, noting that she may have been pressured into involvement due to her loyalty to her husband. On the other hand, her attorneys argue that she was unaware of her husband’s criminal activities for several years after the fact, expressing her remorse for her actions. Morgan has reportedly been active in the professional realm since her release and is attempting to separate herself from her public persona as Razzlekhan.
Meanwhile, her husband, Lichtenstein, has acknowledged his role in the crime, admitting to the theft and using Morgan’s assistance in laundering part of the stolen funds through crypto mixers. Prosecutors have recommended a five-year prison term for Lichtenstein, citing his substantial assistance in law enforcement efforts, significantly less than the 20-year potential sentence he initially faced. Sentencing for both Morgan and Lichtenstein is set to occur on November 15 and November 14, respectively.
