Crypto thief dubbed the ‘Crocodile of Wall Street’ says she’s just misunderstood as she starts prison sentence
The cyrpto “Crocodile of Wall Street” – who is set to head to prison in days for money laundering – claims the media was “wrong about” her.
Heather Morgan, a rapper who also goes by the name “Razzlekhan,” wanted to make clear that her real-life persona differs from the one depicted in “Biggest Heist Ever,” Netflix’s documentary about her and her husband’s theft.
“People act like I’m some evil villain b**** or some dumb trophy wife,” Morgan told the New York Post’s “NY Next” podcast. “I can’t be both those things, but I can be neither.”
Federal authorities arrested Morgan, 34, and her husband Ilya Lichtenstein, 36, in February 2022 after finding the New York City-based couple hacked currency exchange Bitfinex and stole approximately 120,000 worth of bitcoin — at the time worth upward of $4 billion.
In August 2023, Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
“This was a media spectacle — but they were wrong about me,” she said.
The Netflix documentary didn’t do her any favors, she argued. A lawyer for the 34-year-old told the podcast that the streaming service is spreading “defamatory statements against Ms. Morgan.” The lawyer added: “We are reviewing our legal options but starting with these cease and desist letters.”
The Independent has reached out to Netflix for comment.
The Netflix documentary depicts Morgan as a woman finding a wealthy husband to bankroll her rapping career, she said. But, she claimed, the real story behind the rapper-turned-convict is different.
“I spent most of my 20s working my a** off to build a bootstrapped business by myself, which I turned into a million-dollar business,” Morgan said. “In the end, all the money I made from my first company went to paying legal bills for my husband and me.”
The pair reportedly met through SalesFolk, the sales tech company Morgan founded.
She became “burnt out” from the business, “which is why I decided to create Razzlekhan,” she said. Her TikTok page, where she describes herself as an “infamous rapper,” boasts nearly 13,000 subscribers.
“The government somehow managed to weaponize Razzlekhan to undermine all of my professional business accomplishments as an entrepreneur,” she told NYNext. “No money from the heist was ever spent on Razzlekhan … People hear this huge sum of money but we’re not lavish. We’re eccentric.”
She also clarified: “I’m not proud of the acts that led my husband and I to being arrested.”
Lichtenstein also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He was sentenced to five years behind bars.
Even though she refused to divulge information about her husband in exchange for a better plea deal, she said: “I could have thrown him under the bus five different ways … I’d rather be a proud felon than a disloyal, backstabbing wife.”
She added: “As a dedicated wife, I didn’t want to do anything that would put him in a worse position.”
Morgan helped the fed recover about 94,000 Bitcoins, and the feds have a website where reported victims can try to get their money back.
The so-called “Bitcoin Bonnie and Clyde” still speak to one another. Morgan plans to reunite with Lichtenstein after they are both free from prison.
“When I come out of prison, I look forward to continuing to pursue creative endeavors as Razzlekhan,” Morgan told “NY Next.”
The prison, in Victorville, California, “is conveniently located not too far from Hollywood, so let’s see what happens next,” she added. “This is not the last the world will be hearing from me.”
