Scoop: Ex-federal agents and prosecutors ask White House to help imprisoned crypto exec

Catch up quick: Gambaryan is a U.S. citizen, head of financial crime compliance at Binance, and a former special agent with the Internal Revenue Service.

• He traveled to Nigeria after the country accused Binance of contributing to a crash of the local currency. After arriving, he was arrested and charged with such crimes as tax evasion and money laundering.
• His supporters argue that Gambaryan is a scapegoat at best and political prisoner at worst.
• This includes the letter signees, many of whom worked with Gambaryan on investigations ranging from drug trafficking to child pornography.
• Nigerian officials have defended their actions.

What they're saying: The letter stresses that Gambaryan is being held at a prison that has "historically housed Nigeria's worst criminals," and that he's been denied adequate medical care (despite recently collapsing in court, possibly due to malaria).

• They write: "A former U.S. federal agent has been effectively held hostage in deplorable conditions for nearly three months by a foreign power in an apparent attempt to compel his employer to settle a matter that does not implicate him."

Behind the scenes: The letter was spearheaded by Katie Haun, a former federal prosecutor and current crypto venture capitalist, as part of a broader coalition seeking to secure Gambaryan's release.

Read the letter, via DocumentCloud: