In a dramatic turn of events, Alexander Gurevich, the alleged mastermind behind the $190 million Nomad Bridge hack, was arrested last Thursday at Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport while attempting to flee to Russia.

The 47-year-old dual Russian-Israeli citizen had been evading authorities since the exploit in 2022, making his capture a major breakthrough in one of the crypto industry's most notorious exploits.

The arrest follows an eight-count indictment filed by U.S. authorities in August 2023 and a formal extradition request submitted to Israel in December 2024.

Gurevich attempts to flee to Russia

U.S. prosecutors allege that Gurevich was the first to exploit a vulnerability in Nomad’s smart contracts in August 2022, personally siphoning off roughly $2.89 million in crypto assets.

The initial breach triggered a cascade of copycat attacks, compounding total losses to approximately $190 million and ultimately leading to the collapse of the cross-chain bridge.

Reports state that Gurevich returned to Israel on April 19 from an overseas trip. Shortly after, he was summoned by the Jerusalem District Court for an extradition hearing.

In an apparent panic, Gurevich changed his legal name in Israel’s Population Registry to “Alexander Block” and secured a new passport under this alias—ironically at the very same airport where he would be arrested just two days later.

Despite his efforts to obscure his identity, authorities intercepted him at Ben-Gurion Airport before he could flee.

Gurevich's Telegram confession

Not long after the hack, Gurevich allegedly reached out to Nomad’s Chief Technology Officer, James Prestwich, via Telegram, using a fake identity.

During their exchange, Gurevich confessed to "amateurishly” searching for a protocol to exploit, apologized for the disruption, and voluntarily returned approximately $162,000 to Nomad’s recovery wallet—a small fraction of the funds he stole.

When offered a 10% bounty by Prestwich, Gurevich said he would consult with his lawyer. He never responded again. At one point, he reportedly demanded $500,000 as a reward for exposing the vulnerability.

Gurevich awaits harsher sentencing in the U.S.

The Israeli State Attorney’s Office is now processing Gurevich’s extradition to the United States, where he will face trial. He appeared in court on May 2, 2025, in handcuffs. A formal extradition hearing is pending.

The U.S. indictment, filed in California—home to the Nomad development team—charges Gurevich with multiple computer crimes, including money laundering and transferring stolen funds.

If convicted in the U.S., Gurevich faces up to 20 years in prison—a significantly harsher sentence than he would face under Israeli law.

As extradition proceedings move forward, U.S. prosecutors are preparing to bring him to justice for orchestrating one of 2022’s most high-profile DeFi exploits.