{"id":14072,"date":"2025-02-10T16:05:49","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14072"},"modified":"2025-02-10T16:05:49","modified_gmt":"2025-02-10T16:05:49","slug":"the-untold-story-of-a-crypto-crimefighters-descent-into-nigerian-prison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/topat10.com\/?p=14072","title":{"rendered":"The Untold Story of a Crypto Crimefighter\u2019s Descent Into Nigerian Prison"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Gambaryan says he wanted to hear Ogunjobi explain himself. On the phone, Gambaryan remembers, the EFCC official began crying, apologizing repeatedly, thanking God that Gambaryan had been released.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">For Gambaryan it was too much to process. He listened quietly without accepting the apology. In the midst of Ogunjobi\u2019s outpouring, he noticed that an American friend was calling, a Secret Service agent he\u2019d worked with in the past. Gambaryan didn\u2019t know it yet, but the agent happened to be in Rome for a conference with Gambaryan\u2019s old boss, the head of the IRS-CI cybercrime division, Jarod Koopman, both of whom wanted to bring him beer and pizza at his hotel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Gambaryan told Ogunjobi he had to go, and he ended the call.<\/p>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn dePdgY callout--has-top-border\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><picture class=\"ResponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"detail of a framed award a british license plate and more artifacts\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eybHBd fptoWY responsive-image__image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_120,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_240,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_320,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 320w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_640,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 640w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_960,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 960w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_1280,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/6799163c62b4d01d477bd927\/master\/w_1600,c_limit\/Nigerian-Crypto-Trap-Tigran-PM-6.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"100vw\"\/><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jSZdqE fJvQtP caption AssetEmbedCaption-fNQBPI dDrfgT asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptionText-bHjzlu iUEiRd kVUvEC iXWezO caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Awards from Gambaryan&#8217;s IRS career and a copy of remarks published in the Congressional Record by congressman Rich McCormick celebrating his return from Nigerian detention.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptionCredit-ejegDm iUEiRd isTgyB fNaHcW caption__credit\">Photograph: Piera Moore<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\"><span class=\"lead-in-text-callout\">On a cold<\/span> and windy December day on Capitol Hill, former federal agents and prosecutors, State Department officials, and congressional aides mingle in a plush room in the Rayburn House Office Building. One by one, members of Congress come in and shake hands with Tigran Gambaryan, who\u2019s wearing a dark blue suit and tie, his beard close-trimmed again and head cleanly shaved, limping only slightly from the emergency surgery on his spine that he underwent a month earlier in Georgia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Gambaryan poses for photos and chats with each legislator, aide, and State Department official long enough to thank them for their role in getting him home. When French Hill says that it\u2019s good to see him again, Gambaryan quips that he hopes he smells better than he did during their meeting in Kuje.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">The reception is one in a series of VIP welcomes that Gambaryan has received on his return. At the airport in Georgia, Representative McCormick had come to greet him, and gave him an American flag that had flown above the Capitol building the previous day. The White House released a <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20250116072456\/https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2024\/10\/29\/readout-of-president-joe-bidens-call-with-president-bola-tinubu-of-nigeria\/\">statement<\/a> noting that President Biden had called the Nigerian president and \u201cunderscored his appreciation for President Tinubu\u2019s leadership in securing the release on humanitarian grounds of American citizen and former U.S. law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">The statement of thanks, I later learned, was part of the deal the US government struck with Nigeria, which also included aiding in its investigation of Binance\u2014which is still ongoing. Nigeria continues to prosecute both Binance and Anjarwalla in absentia. A Binance spokesperson wrote in a statement that the company is \u201crelieved and grateful\u201d that Gambaryan is home and expressed thanks to all who worked to secure his release. \u201cWe are eager to put this episode behind us and continue working toward a brighter future for the blockchain industry in Nigeria and around the world,\u201d the statement adds. \u201cWe will continue to defend ourselves against spurious claims.\u201d Nigerian government officials did not respond to WIRED&#8217;s repeated requests for comment on Gambaryan&#8217;s case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">After the reception, Gambaryan and I get in a cab outside, and I ask him what\u2019s next for him. He says that he may be getting back into government, if the new administration will have him\u2014and if Yuki will put up with another move back to DC. (Crypto news site Coindesk <a data-offer-url=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/policy\/2025\/01\/20\/binance-s-tigran-gambaryan-it-would-be-an-honor-to-serve-my-country-again\" class=\"external-link\" data-event-click=\"{&quot;element&quot;:&quot;ExternalLink&quot;,&quot;outgoingURL&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/policy\/2025\/01\/20\/binance-s-tigran-gambaryan-it-would-be-an-honor-to-serve-my-country-again&quot;}\" href=\"https:\/\/www.coindesk.com\/policy\/2025\/01\/20\/binance-s-tigran-gambaryan-it-would-be-an-honor-to-serve-my-country-again\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">reported last month<\/a> that he\u2019s been recommended by cryptocurrency industry insiders with connections to President Trump for roles as senior as head of crypto assets at the SEC or a high-level position in the FBI\u2019s cyber division.) Before he considers anything like that, he says vaguely, \u201cI probably need time to get my head straight.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"GenericCalloutWrapper-tojWn dePdgY callout--has-top-border\" data-testid=\"GenericCallout\">\n<figure class=\"AssetEmbedWrapper-eVDQiB byBkf asset-embed\">\n<div class=\"AssetEmbedAssetContainer-eJxoAx dBHGoQ asset-embed__asset-container\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB responsive-asset AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset\"><picture class=\"ResponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa AssetEmbedResponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__responsive-asset responsive-image\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Image may contain French Hill Tom Lantos Accessories Formal Wear Tie Flag Blazer Clothing Coat Jacket and People\" class=\"ResponsiveImageContainer-eybHBd fptoWY responsive-image__image lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" data-src=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_120,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_240,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_320,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 320w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_640,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 640w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_960,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 960w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_1280,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/media.wired.com\/photos\/67a69daf1bfd1c5c6540d22a\/master\/w_1600,c_limit\/Security_tigran_3.jpg 1600w\" data-sizes=\"100vw\"\/><\/noscript><\/picture><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jSZdqE fJvQtP caption AssetEmbedCaption-fNQBPI dDrfgT asset-embed__caption\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptionText-bHjzlu iUEiRd kVUvEC iXWezO caption__text\"><\/p>\n<p>Gambaryan (right) with Congressman French Hill at a reception in his honor on Capitol Hill after his return to the US.<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paywall\">I ask him how he feels the experience in Nigeria has changed him. \u201cI guess it did make me angrier?\u201d he responds in a strangely light tone, as if thinking about the question himself for the first time. \u201cIt made me want to get vengeance against those that did this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Revenge for Gambaryan may be more than a fantasy. He\u2019s pursuing a human rights lawsuit against the Nigerian government that began during his detention, and hopes there will be an investigation into the Nigerians who he argues held him hostage for the better part of a year of his life. At times, he says, he\u2019s even sent messages to individual officials he holds responsible, telling them, \u201cYou\u2019ll see me again,\u201d that what they did \u201cbrought shame on the badge,\u201d that he can forgive what they did to him, but not what they did to his family.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cWas it stupid for me to do that? Probably,\u201d he tells me in the cab. \u201cI was on the floor with back pain and just bored.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">As we step out of the car at his hotel in Arlington and Gambaryan lights a cigarette, I tell him that despite his description of himself as angrier than before his time in prison, he actually seems calmer and happier to me than in years past\u2014that when I was covering his serial takedowns of corrupt federal agents, crypto money launderers, and child abusers, he had always struck me as angry, driven, relentless in chasing the targets of his investigations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">Gambaryan responds that, if he seems more relaxed now, it\u2019s only because he\u2019s happy to be home\u2014grateful to see his family and his friends, to be able to walk again, to not be caught between forces so much larger than himself waging a conflict that had so little to do with him. To have not died in prison.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">As for being driven by anger in the past, Gambaryan disagrees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paywall\">\u201cI&#8217;m not sure that was anger. That was justice,\u201d he says. \u201cI wanted justice. And I still do.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gambaryan says he wanted to hear Ogunjobi explain himself. On the phone, Gambaryan remembers, the EFCC official began crying, apologizing repeatedly, thanking God that Gambaryan had been released. For Gambaryan it was too much to process. He listened quietly without accepting the apology. In the midst of Ogunjobi\u2019s outpouring, he noticed that an American friend [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":290,"featured_media":14073,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[703],"tags":[1295,1296,3529,1204],"class_list":["post-14072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-crime","tag-cryptocurrency","tag-law-enforcement","tag-longreads"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Untold Story of a Crypto Crimefighter\u2019s Descent Into Nigerian Prison | Unlock Informed Choices with Us<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As a US federal agent, Tigran Gambaryan pioneered modern crypto investigations. 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