The founders of HashFlare, Sergei Potapenko and Ivan Turogin, mistakenly received orders from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to self-deport just months before their sentencing for running a $577 million Ponzi scheme. This order contradicted a judicial directive requiring them to remain in Washington state until their sentencing in August. Following extradition from Estonia due to an indictment linked to their scheme, both men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They reported receiving intimidating emails from DHS threatening prosecution and fines if they did not leave the U.S. DHS and the Department of Justice later coordinated to defer the deportation order for a year, allowing the legal proceedings to conclude as planned. Their sentencing is set for August 14, 2025, where they will petition for immediate release and return to Estonia.

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