Alexander Gurevich, a dual Russian-Israeli citizen from Bat Yam, was arrested at Ben-Gurion Airport last Thursday after he allegedly tried to flee to Russia using a passport with a new last name.
Gurevich, 47, is wanted in the United States for alleged involvement in computer crimes, laundering millions of dollars, and transferring stolen property in connection with a 2022 cryptocurrency hack that nearly caused the collapse of a California-based blockchain company. His arrest revealed the identity of the main suspect in the case for the first time.
According to a US extradition request, Gurevich demanded a $500,000 reward after stealing digital tokens from a crypto wallet.
On Friday, Israel’s State Attorney’s Office International Department submitted a petition to the Jerusalem District Court seeking to declare Gurevich extraditable to the US.
Gurevich's involvement in the Nomad hack
Gurevich was born in Germany and holds dual Israeli-Russian citizenship. Though he immigrated to Israel about three and a half years ago, authorities say he spent most of his time abroad.
On April 19—the second day of Passover—he returned to Israel. Shortly afterward, Justice Minister Yariv Levin signed an order requiring him to appear before the Jerusalem District Court for an extradition hearing. In the meantime, Gurevich began making moves to leave the country under a new identity.
On April 29, he officially changed his name in Israel’s Population Registry to “Alexander Block.” The next day, he received a passport under that name at the Population and Immigration Authority counter at Ben-Gurion Airport. When he returned to the airport on May 1, prosecutors say he was arrested just before boarding a flight to Russia. He appeared in court in handcuffs the following day.
The case revolves around a major breach that occurred on August 1, 2022. Just a few days earlier, Gurevich—who had acquired Israeli citizenship in 2017 but had spent the previous five years abroad, reportedly including time in Africa—arrived in Israel. That same day, the US-based cryptocurrency firm Nomad suffered a major hack, losing nearly $190 million in digital assets. It was one of several high-profile cyberattacks on crypto platforms that year, with total industry losses surpassing $1 billion.
We are aware of the incident involving the Nomad token bridge. We are currently investigating and will provide updates when we have them.
— Nomad (⤭⛓) (@nomadxyz_) August 1, 2022
Prosecutors allege that Gurevich identified a vulnerability in Nomad’s system and exploited it, withdrawing roughly $2.89 million in tokens. Within hours, others discovered the flaw and emptied the wallet, with total losses estimated at $186 million.
According to the extradition request, on August 4, 2022, while reportedly in Israel, Gurevich contacted Nomad’s Chief Technology Officer James Prestwich via the Telegram messaging app. Using a fake identity, he admitted he had been “amateurishly” probing for weaknesses and apologized for “the trouble he caused Prestwich and his team.” He later reiterated the apology during a phone call and said he had transferred about $162,000 into a recovery wallet the company had set up.
He also “demanded a reward of $500,000 for identifying the vulnerability.”
Prestwich asked him to put the request in writing via Telegram so it could be shared with company leadership. The next day, Prestwich responded that Nomad would pay him “10% of the value of the assets he had stolen, and no more.” Gurevich said he would consult his lawyer, but then ceased all contact. The FBI’s San Francisco field office opened a criminal investigation.
On August 16, 2023, US federal authorities filed an eight-count indictment against Gurevich in the Northern District of California. A warrant for his arrest followed. The US submitted a formal extradition request in December 2024.
The charges he faces in the US are significantly more severe than what he would face under Israeli law. Five of the counts each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In Israel, the maximum sentence for each of the four related computer offenses is just three years. The US money laundering charge carries a maximum of 20 years, twice the potential penalty in Israel.
If extradited and convicted in the US, Gurevich will not be eligible to serve his sentence in Israel, since he was not an Israeli resident when the crimes allegedly occurred.
The case is being handled by attorney Avi Kronenberg of the State Attorney’s Office International Department. The arrest operation was coordinated by the Operational Coordination Department of the Israel Police’s National Fraud Unit and the Tel Aviv Fraud Division. Judge Einat Avman-Moller ordered Gurevich-Block to remain in custody and scheduled a hearing for Sunday. He is currently represented by the Public Defender’s Office.
