Tsvetnenko surrenders, agrees to extradition

Perth-based tech millionaire Eugeni 'Zhenya' Tsvetnenko has today agreed to be extradited to the United States over his alleged involvement in a $US100 million text messaging scam, ending a three-year long legal battle.

The founder of blockchain technology company DigitalX has been fighting extradition since being charged by US authorities with a string of offences in 2016, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

The charges relate to his alleged involvement in a $US100 million scheme in which hundreds of thousands of mobile phone users were allegedly charged monthly fees for unsolicited messages with horoscopes, celebrity gossip, and trivia; a scheme US authorities allege helped to fund his "lavish lifestyle".

The charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

He has been behind bars in Hakea Prison since his arrest in December 2018, but has insisted he is innocent and repeatedly applied for bail.

But during an appearance in Perth Magistrates Court this morning, Mr Tsvetnenko surrendered to US authorities and agreed to the extradition.

The news comes seven months after two Australian men accused of participating in the same international text-messaging fraud scheme, 52-year-old Sydney man Michael Pearse and 33-year-old Chinese national Yongchao Liu, were extradited to the US.