Defendants in Argentina accused of promoting the OneCoin cryptocurrency scam are asserting a peculiar defense: that their recruitment of four police officers into the scheme somehow negates their own legal culpability. This argument, detailed in a letter submitted to the court, suggests the officers' involvement validates the defendants' actions.
Three of the officers invested in OneCoin, promoting it as a secure opportunity. The fourth officer, who initially served as a bodyguard for OneCoin’s co-founder Konstantin Ignatov during his 2018 visit to Argentina, allegedly rose to a prominent position within the local OneCoin hierarchy. He continued providing security for the scammers’ weekly hotel gatherings.
This officer then invested $25,000 into OneCoin. He reportedly recruited his father and numerous close associates. His professional background also placed him in a position to assist with OneCoin’s money laundering activities in Argentina. He facilitated large transfers and deposits through ODT Argentina, using bank accounts in Córdoba and Buenos Aires. These activities eventually led to the officer being blacklisted by the banks.
The defense now contends that a lead investigating officer is attempting to conceal the actions of his colleagues. They claim the case against the defendants is a retaliatory measure intended to recover the officers' financial losses. The bodyguard officer, ironically, is one of two complainants who initiated the criminal investigation into OneCoin in Argentina.
Attorneys for the complainants have rejected defense calls for an investigation into the involved police officers, describing the police’s handling of the OneCoin case as "impeccable." Prosecutors view the defense’s strategy as an attempt to deliberately confuse the judicial process.
The core of the defense's argument rests on the premise that the involvement of law enforcement officers somehow invalidates the charges against the fourteen defendants, who are positioned at the upper echelons of OneCoin’s promotional structure in Argentina, directly below the fugitive Jose Gordo. The prosecution maintains that the actions of any police officers do not alter the facts of the case or the charges brought against the defendants.