Case 035: Allan Esteban Hidalgo Jimenez

He helped build one of the world’s most notorious digital money laundering machines—then watched it crumble under the weight of U.S. federal charges.In this episode of Fugitive Files, we explore the case of Allan Esteban Hidalgo Jimenez, the former manager of Liberty Reserve, a Costa Rica–based digital currency platform that operated in the shadows of the global financial system from 2006 to 2013. Liberty Reserve became a magnet for cybercriminals and dark web transactions, thanks to its complete lack of identity verification and regulatory oversight.According to federal investigators, Liberty Reserve processed over $8 billion in illicit transactions. Jimenez, along with founder Arthur Budovsky, allegedly played a critical role in facilitating money laundering, credit card fraud, identity theft, and other criminal activity across borders.He now faces charges of:Conspiracy to commit money launderingOperation of an unlicensed money transmitting businessConspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting businessThe takedown of Liberty Reserve was one of the largest actions ever taken against a digital currency provider and marked a turning point in cyber-financial regulation. While Budovsky was captured and convicted, Jimenez's status remains murky—his name continues to surface in court documents and investigative reports, but he has evaded the spotlight.This is Fugitive Files. Let’s get into it.