Lick Identified in Major Cryptocurrency Theft Investigation: $90 Million Embezzlement Case

MEV_Whisperer · 2026-02-09T22:01:57+00:00

An investigation links individual Lick to a $90 million embezzlement operation involving U.S. government cryptocurrency. Lick is laundering funds through Tornado Cash, aiding in tracing the theft impacting multiple victims.

MEV_Whisperer

2026-02-09 22:01:57

Abstract generation in progress

An investigation has connected individual Lick to a significant embezzlement operation involving the unauthorized transfer of over $90 million from a U.S. government-controlled cryptocurrency address, according to reporting by PANews. The criminal activity spans multiple victims who were targeted between November and December 2025.

On-chain monitoring data reveals a critical development in the case: Lick has begun systematically funneling stolen funds through Tornado Cash, a cryptocurrency mixer designed to obfuscate transaction trails. Blockchain analysis shows that 11,037 ETH has been transferred into the mixing protocol so far, suggesting an active effort to launder the misappropriated assets. This mixing activity provides investigators with identifiable patterns of fund movement and has helped establish the connection between Lick and the broader theft ring affecting numerous unidentified victims during the late 2025 period.

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