Netflix’sBiggest Heist Everexplores the scandalous crimes of Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan and depicts how they managed to launder thousands worth of bitcoin money, all while living in the public eye. The Netflix documentary explores one of the most unusual and bizarre thefts in criminal history. Married couple, Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan, dubbed by the media as the modern day Bonnie and Clyde, both conspired to launder thousands worth of bitcoin money, using their skills in technology, communications, and social engineering to evade suspicion for years.
The Netflix documentary depicts how Lichtenstein and Morgan started off as a normal couple building up a career in sales and technology, before moving to New York City in 2016, where they began their Bitcoin laundering.In one of several shocking reveals fromBiggest Heist Ever, even after they were apprehended, the couple remained active on social media, with Heather Morgan posting rap videos that contained lyrics that hinted at the true extent of their crimes. As shown in the documentary, the couple managed to swindle thousands out of bitcoin accounts, with some money remaining missing today.
Ilya Lichtenstein & Heather Morgan Laundered 120,000 Bitcoin
The Couple Stole From Bitfinex In 2016
The Netflix documentary,Biggest Heist Ever,depicts how Lichtenstein and Morgan both strived to make names for themselves in the tech industry, became a couple and moved to New York in 2016. Former friends and investigators said thatthe couple outwardly portrayed themselves as attention-seeking, determined and eccentric. Morgan worked as the CEO and founder of Salesfolk, a cold email company; her former intern, Martin Molina, described her as “elegant”, “professional” and “well-versed in what she knew about the industry.” The couple’s public personas meant their involvement in bitcoin laundering came as a shock to investigators.
The documentary reveals how, in 2016,Lichtenstein and Morgan managed to break through the security protocols of Bitfinex and gain access to the usernames and passwords of multiple accounts. TRM Labs, Head of Legal, Ari Redford described how Lichtenstein “used automated transactions to move the stolen funds from exchange to exchange” to evade detection. Lichtenstein and Morgan started off their criminal activity by making small transactions of the stolen bitcoin to other accounts, including the now-defunct marketplace, AlphaBay. Between 2016 and 2022, the couple managed to steal 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex accounts (viaTRMLabs).
Ilya Lichtenstein & Heather Morgan’s Stolen Bitcoin Money Is Worth $10.8 Billion
Investigators Could Not Recover All The Stolen Bitcoin Money
The Netflix documentary depicts how investigators managed to track the Bitfinex hacking to both Ilya Lichtenstein and Heather Morgan and were able to gain a search warrant for the couple’s Manhattan apartment on July 17, 2025.Evidence recovered from the apartment included hollowed-out books, money in different currencies and burner phones in a bag literally labeled “burner phones.“The evidence was described by correspondent, Nick Bilton, as coming “from a spy novel, even a bad spy novel.” At the time when Lichtenstein and Morgan hacked into Bitfinex in 2016, the 120,000 bitcoin they laundered was worth around $72 million (viaInvestment Exchange).
What Happened To Heather Morgan & Ilya Lichtenstein After Their Bitcoin Heist
Netflix’s Biggest Heist Ever explores the infamous and lucrative Bitcoin heist in history. This is what happened to the convicts after their arrest.
In the documentary,it’s revealed that over the next five years, until the couple’s arrest in 2022,the value of their stolen bitcoin had risen to $4.5 billion.The US government managed to recover bitcoin worth $3.6 billion through decryption of Lichtenstein’s online files (viaThe Washington Post). Since both Lichtenstein and Morgan pleaded guilty to money laundering and received separate prison sentences, this amount has grown to $10.8 billion (viaTIME). Nick Bilton described the couple inBiggest Heist Everas being “good at hiding stolen money,“as they managed to hide bitcoin worth $1 billion that remains unaccounted for today.
Sources:TRMLabs,Investment Exchange,The Washington Post,TIME
Biggest Heist Ever
Biggest Heist Ever, directed by Chris Smith, is a documentary exploring the infamous individuals dubbed the Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde. The film delves into the unprecedented and bizarre events surrounding the most lucrative heist in history, revealing the complex web of cybercrime and fraud.
