HotNews No. 155: Onecoin last update

German prosecutors in Darmstadt have filed money laundering charges against Björn Strehl, the former husband of OneCoin founder Ruja Ignatova.

The investigation has been completed and forwarded to the Darmstadt Regional Court, which will now decide whether the case will proceed to trial. Due to German privacy laws, Strehl is not named in court documents and is instead described as a 44-year-old lawyer from Neu-Isenburg, near Frankfurt.

Prosecutors allege that €7.69 million linked to the OneCoin scheme was laundered through a Hong Kong shell company, allegedly at the direction of Ruja Ignatova. The funds are believed to be part of the broader OneCoin fraud.

Although Strehl regularly attended OneCoin events and is believed to have benefited financially, he maintained a low public profile. Authorities believe the amount identified so far may represent only a fraction of the total funds involved.

The case was formally initiated in 2023 but has now advanced as the statute of limitations approaches. If convicted, Strehl faces a potential prison sentence. Proceedings related to Ruja Ignatova remain stalled pending confirmation of her whereabouts.

On the defendme.global platform, an official case has been opened, allowing victims of the fraud to report and register their financial losses.

If you are a victim of this fraud, do not give up — at this stage, there are available legal mechanisms that may enable the recovery of lost funds, in accordance with applicable laws and procedures.

To initiate the process, it is necessary to provide proof of payment, specifically documentation confirming the purchase of OneCoin packages (payment receipts, bank statements, transaction confirmations, etc.).

All affected individuals are encouraged to submit their claims in a timely manner, in order to protect their rights within the framework of the opened case.

Attorney at law 

Zoran Miljakovic