126 entries tagged “doj”.
A 2017–2018 ICO (BCT tokens, ~$30M) for a 'Blockchain Terminal' — a Bloomberg-style crypto trading terminal. The SEC and DOJ said convicted ex-hedge-funder Boaz Manor secretly ran it under a fake identity ('Shaun MacDonald'), using associate Edith Pardo as a front, and lied about the product's adoption.
An ICO for the DROP token built around a fake 'Dex' trading bot. The SEC said it raised ~$1.9M while claiming $54M from 34,000 investors, and that the founders falsified evidence during the probe. Founders Jeremy McAlpine and Zachary Matar pleaded guilty to securities fraud (36 and 30 months).
A Miami-based crypto token (CLU) that ran a 2021 ICO and pivoted to NFTs and a metaverse game. Founder Austin Michael Taylor ('DNPthree') secretly siphoned ~$1.14M of investor funds into online casinos; he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced in 2025 to 27 months.
A prominent crypto 'market maker' that the U.S. DOJ says ran wash-trading/market-manipulation services (2018–2024) to fake trading volume for token clients (including Saitama and Robo Inu) and win exchange listings. Charged in the FBI's 'Operation Token Mirrors'; founder Aleksei Andriunin pleaded guilty in 2025 and Gotbit forfeited $23M.
A New Jersey associate of Boaz Manor whom the SEC said acted as a 'front' presented as the owner of the Blockchain Terminal businesses to conceal Manor's control. Charged civilly by the SEC and criminally in 2020.
A previously convicted Canadian ex-hedge-fund manager who, per the SEC and DOJ, secretly ran the $30M Blockchain Terminal ICO under the alias 'Shaun MacDonald' to hide his criminal past. Charged civilly and criminally in 2020.
A large-scale promoter of the $722M BitClub Network crypto-mining Ponzi. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to sell unregistered securities and to filing a false tax return (unreported BitClub crypto income).
Former CFO of the crypto lender Cred. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to wire-fraud conspiracy over Cred's misleading marketing and was sentenced to 36 months in prison.
Son of Joy Kovar and a 'recidivist' co-operator of Profit Connect, who promoted its fake 'AI supercomputer.' Charged civilly by the SEC in 2021 and later indicted on federal fraud and money-laundering charges in 2025.
Co-founder of Dropil and its fraudulent DROP-token ICO. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud in 2021 and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
Co-founder of Dropil, which ran a fraudulent DROP-token ICO around a fake 'Dex' trading bot. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud in 2021 and was sentenced to 36 months; he also gave false testimony and manufactured fake evidence during the SEC probe.
A Miami-based promoter of HyperFund. The DOJ charged him in 2024 with conspiracy to operate, and operating, an unlicensed money-transmitting business in connection with the ~$1.89B HyperFund scheme.
Former chief revenue officer and top lawyer of Celsius Network. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to four counts including manipulating the price of Celsius's CEL token, cooperated against CEO Alex Mashinsky, and was sentenced in 2026 to time served.
Chief technology officer of SafeMoon. He pleaded guilty in February 2025 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud over the scheme that misappropriated investor funds from the SafeMoon token's 'locked' liquidity; he is awaiting sentencing.
Founder of the Miami crypto project CluCoin (alias 'DNPthree'). A military veteran, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud after siphoning ~$1.14M of investor funds into online casinos, and was sentenced in 2025 to 27 months in prison.
Co-founder of Centra Tech, whom the SEC called a 'mastermind' of its fraudulent 2017 ICO. He pleaded guilty but, citing 'extraordinary' cooperation, was sentenced in 2022 to time served (no prison) and ~$2.9M restitution.
Co-founder of Centra Tech, the 2017 ICO that raised ~$25–32M on fake executives and fabricated partnerships with Visa/Mastercard. He pleaded guilty to fraud conspiracies and was sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
French national who created the 'Mutant Ape Planet' NFT collection — a knockoff of Mutant Ape Yacht Club — and rug-pulled buyers after raising ~$2.9M. He pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy in 2023; in 2024 he was sentenced to time served plus a $15K fine and $1.4M forfeiture.
Co-creator (alias 'heyandre') of the Frosties NFT project, charged by the DOJ in March 2022 in its first NFT 'rug pull' case over the ~$1.1M scheme.
Co-creator (alias 'Frostie') of the Frosties NFT project, which the DOJ charged in March 2022 as its first NFT 'rug pull' case — abandoning the project hours after a ~$1.1M sellout and moving the funds to obfuscate their source.
Russian founder and CEO of crypto market maker Gotbit. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to commit market manipulation and wire fraud for running wash-trading services that faked token trading volume; sentenced to eight months (time served), with Gotbit forfeiting $23M.
Former head of engineering at FTX, who wrote code that allowed Alameda Research to draw on customer funds. He pleaded guilty to five charges, cooperated against Sam Bankman-Fried, and was sentenced in 2024 to time served.
Co-founder and CTO of FTX, who wrote code that secretly let Alameda Research draw on FTX customer funds. He pleaded guilty, cooperated against Sam Bankman-Fried, and was sentenced in 2024 to time served.
Co-founder of Bitqyck (Bitqy / BitqyM tokens). He settled SEC fraud charges in 2019 and was sentenced in 2022 to 50 months in prison for tax evasion tied to misappropriated investor funds.
Co-founder of Bitqyck, which sold the Bitqy and BitqyM tokens. The SEC said the firm raised ~$24M from 13,000+ investors via false claims; Bise settled SEC fraud charges (2019) and was sentenced in 2022 to 50 months for tax evasion.
The Brooklyn entrepreneur behind the RECoin and Diamond Reserve Club ICOs. His was the first criminal case to test whether ICO tokens are securities; he pleaded guilty to securities-fraud conspiracy and was sentenced in 2019 to 18 months in prison.
Co-founder of the ~$100M AirBit Club crypto pyramid scheme. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2023 to 40 months in prison, with forfeiture of assets.
Founder of Bitcoin Savings and Trust, who operated under the handle 'pirateat40' and ran what the DOJ called the first federal criminal securities-fraud case involving Bitcoin. He pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced in 2016 to 18 months in prison.
An entrepreneur and rapper known as 'Razzlekhan' who helped her husband Ilya Lichtenstein launder bitcoin stolen in the 2016 Bitfinex hack. She pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced in November 2024 to 18 months in prison.
An NFT collection launched on OpenSea in September 2021 that promised a fighting game. About a week later its anonymous developer 'Evil Ape' vanished with 798 ETH (~$2.7M). In June 2024 U.S. prosecutors charged three U.K. nationals over the scheme.
A knockoff of the Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs whose creator, French national Aurelien Michel, raised ~$2.9M then 'rug-pulled' buyers, abandoning promised rewards. He was arrested at JFK in 2023, pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy, and forfeited $1.4M.
Two 2017 ICOs run by Brooklyn's Maksim Zaslavskiy, marketed as tokens backed by real estate and diamonds that did not exist. The case produced the first U.S. criminal conviction for an ICO fraud; Zaslavskiy was sentenced to 18 months in 2019.
A cryptocurrency marketed by Rowland Marcus Andrade's NAC Foundation as 'anti-money-laundering' Bitcoin. A U.S. jury convicted Andrade of wire fraud and money laundering in 2025; the DOJ said he defrauded investors of about $10M with false claims, including a fabricated Panama Canal deal.
An 8,888-piece NFT collection whose two creators abruptly shut it down within hours of selling out in Jan 2022 and moved ~$1.1M to their own wallets. The U.S. DOJ charged Ethan Nguyen and Andre Llacuna with wire fraud and money laundering.
A token (ORME) sold via the Ormeus Global MLM that the SEC said defrauded thousands of investors of $124M+. The Barksdale siblings falsely claimed it was backed by a $250M crypto-mining operation producing $5.4–8M/month — they had abandoned mining in 2019 after under $3M in total revenue.
A San Francisco crypto lender (CredEarn, offered via Uphold) that collapsed into bankruptcy in November 2020 with customer losses later valued at $783M+. The DOJ said executives falsely marketed it as 'collateralized,' 'hedged,' and insured; CEO Daniel Schatt and CFO Joseph Podulka pleaded guilty.
A global crypto Ponzi/pyramid scheme (later rebranded 'Weltsys') that the DOJ and SEC say defrauded thousands of mostly Spanish-speaking investors of ~$8.4M with promises of guaranteed returns from nonexistent crypto mining and trading. Senior promoter Juan Tacuri got the 20-year statutory maximum.
A privacy-focused Bitcoin wallet and mixing service (Whirlpool, Ricochet) whose founders the U.S. DOJ charged in 2024 with running an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Prosecutors said it processed $2B+ in Bitcoin and laundered $100M+ in criminal proceeds; both founders pleaded guilty in 2025.
A dog-themed crypto token (Saitama Inu, plus the related SaitaRealty) that the SEC and DOJ charged in October 2024 as a fraudulent, manipulated securities offering. Promoters allegedly hyped a 'Saitama ecosystem' while secretly dumping holdings and hiring market makers (Gotbit, ZM Quant) to fake volume.
A purported crypto hedge fund that promised ~1% daily returns from an 'EX BOT' trading robot. The SEC and DOJ called it a Ponzi scheme with ~$40M+ in investor losses; head trader Joshua David Nicholas pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 51 months.
A crypto hedge fund (with affiliate VQR Multistrategy Fund) that claimed ~$90M in assets and a market-neutral arbitrage strategy. Founder Stefan Qin pleaded guilty to securities fraud after draining investor capital; he was sentenced in 2021 to 7.5 years.
A purported crypto mining and trading platform (MCC) that the U.S. DOJ called a $62M global investment fraud. Prosecutors say founder Luiz Capuci Jr. sold 'Mining Packages' and 'Trading Bots' with guaranteed returns but diverted investor funds to wallets he controlled.
A crypto exchange that U.S. and EU authorities say laundered roughly $700M+ of illicit funds, acting as a counterparty for the Hydra darknet market and ransomware crews. Its infrastructure was seized in January 2023; founder Anatoly Legkodymov pleaded guilty to running an unlicensed money-transmitting business.
A cryptocurrency exchange (2011–2017) that the U.S. DOJ called one of the primary ways cybercriminals laundered illicit funds. It received proceeds of hacks, ransomware, and drug sales — including ~300,000 BTC tied to the Mt. Gox theft — and was shut down in 2017 when operator Alexander Vinnik was arrested.
Founder and CEO of USFIA, which sold the gemstone-'backed' GemCoin. He fraudulently obtained ~$147M from 72,000 investors in one of the largest pyramid schemes prosecuted in the Central District of California; pleaded guilty and sentenced in 2021 to 10 years.
Co-CEO of FTX's Bahamian subsidiary (FTX Digital Markets) and a top lieutenant of Sam Bankman-Fried. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to campaign-finance and unlicensed-money-transmitting conspiracies and was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison.
Co-creator of Ormeus Coin who led worldwide roadshows promoting it with false claims of a $250M mining operation. The SEC won a default judgment over the $124M fraud, and the DOJ brought parallel criminal securities-fraud charges.
A large-scale promoter of BitClub Network, the $722M crypto-mining Ponzi. He pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiring to sell unregistered securities and to tax evasion (failing to report $10M+ in income).
Co-founder and CEO of the crypto lender Cred. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to wire-fraud conspiracy for misleading customers about Cred's collateralization, hedging, and insurance, and was sentenced to 52 months in prison.
A lead operator of the Meta 1 Coin fraud, which falsely claimed gold/art backing and risk-free returns. Jailed for civil contempt during the SEC case, he was later convicted of mail fraud and sentenced in 2026 to 23 years in prison.
OneCoin's former head of legal and compliance. Rather than ensure compliance, she helped launder the scheme's proceeds — including ~$110M routed to the Cayman Islands with Mark Scott. She pleaded guilty in 2023 and was sentenced in 2024 to four years and $111.4M forfeiture.
A top U.S. promoter of HyperFund (aka 'Bitcoin Beautee'). The DOJ said she earned over $3.7M from the ~$1.89B pyramid scheme; she pleaded guilty in January 2024 to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud and settled parallel SEC charges.
A former U.S. attorney (Locke Lord partner) who, per a jury, laundered roughly $400M of OneCoin proceeds through a sham investment-fund structure. Convicted in 2019 of money-laundering and bank-fraud conspiracies; sentenced in 2024 to 10 years and $392.9M forfeiture.
Brother of OneCoin's vanished 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova, who took over leadership of the ~$4B OneCoin scheme. He pleaded guilty in 2019 to fraud and money laundering, cooperated extensively with U.S. prosecutors, and in 2024 was sentenced to time served.
Brazilian national whom the SEC and DOJ identify as the creator of Forcount Trader Systems, the ~$8.4M crypto Ponzi/pyramid scheme. Charged civilly and criminally in 2022.
A senior promoter of the Forcount (Weltsys) crypto Ponzi scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy and, in October 2024, received the 20-year statutory maximum sentence plus ~$3.6M restitution.
Founder of CryptoFX, a Houston-based $300M Ponzi scheme that targeted Latino investors. The SEC says he used most investor funds for fake returns and personal spending; he pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to prison.
Founder/creator of SafeMoon. Charged by the SEC and DOJ in 2023 over the SafeMoon scheme; per the DOJ he remains at large while co-defendants Braden Karony (convicted) and Thomas Smith (pleaded guilty) faced sentencing.
Co-founder and CTO of Samourai Wallet. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to four years in prison; the judge cited his age and an autism diagnosis as mitigating factors.
Co-founder and CEO of Samourai Wallet. He pleaded guilty in 2025 to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and was sentenced to five years in prison; prosecutors cited messages calling mixing 'money laundering for Bitcoin.'
A former Saitama executive (alias 'Mkay Saitama') charged by the SEC and DOJ in October 2024 over the manipulation of the Saitama Inu and SaitaRealty tokens. A UK/India resident, he has been fighting U.S. extradition.
BitConnect's lead U.S. promoter ('national promoter'). He pleaded guilty in 2021 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud — admitting he earned at least $24M — and was sentenced in 2022 to 38 months in prison.
A member of the 'SE Enterprise' crew tied to ~$250M in crypto thefts including the $243M Genesis-creditor heist. He pleaded guilty to a RICO conspiracy charge and, per reporting, faces up to 11 years in prison.
A member of the 'SE Enterprise' social-engineering crew (online alias 'GothFerrari') behind ~$250M in crypto thefts (2023–2025), including the $243M Genesis-creditor heist. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2026 to 78 months in prison.
Russian national (formerly Aleksandr Ntifo-Siaw), co-founder and chief commercial officer of Garantex. Charged by the U.S. DOJ in March 2025 with money-laundering conspiracy over the exchange's role in laundering criminal proceeds.
Lithuanian national and Russian resident named by the U.S. DOJ as Garantex's primary technical administrator. Charged in March 2025 with money-laundering, sanctions, and unlicensed-money-transmitting conspiracies; arrested in India.
Dual Russian-Israeli national whom U.S. prosecutors identify as the first person to exploit the Nomad bridge in August 2022 (taking ~$2.89M and triggering the ~$190M free-for-all). Indicted in 2023; arrested in Israel in May 2025 while fleeing under a new name, and approved for extradition.
Former CEO of Alameda Research and the prosecution's star witness against Sam Bankman-Fried. She pleaded guilty to seven counts and was sentenced in September 2024 to two years in prison.
The self-styled 'head trader' of the EmpiresX crypto Ponzi scheme, who was touted as a licensed trader despite a prior NFA bar. He pleaded guilty to securities-fraud conspiracy and was sentenced to 51 months in prison.
Australian founder of the Virgil Sigma and VQR crypto hedge funds. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud after draining a fund that claimed ~$90M, and was sentenced in 2021 to 7.5 years in prison and $54.8M forfeiture.
Close associate of Guo Wengui (known as 'Yvette'). For her role in the >$1B fraud she was sentenced to 120 months in prison and ordered to forfeit $1.4 billion.
Founder and CEO of NAC Foundation, the company behind 'AML Bitcoin.' A jury convicted him of wire fraud and money laundering in 2025 over a ~$10M scheme; he was sentenced to 84 months (seven years) in prison.
Founder and CEO of Titanium Blockchain Infrastructure Services (TBIS), whose BAR token ICO raised ~$21M. He pleaded guilty to securities fraud and was sentenced in 2023 to 51 months in prison.
Founder and CEO of AriseBank, marketed as the world's 'first decentralized bank.' He pleaded guilty to securities fraud over the AriseCoin ICO and was sentenced in 2021 to five years in prison plus ~$4.26M in restitution.
Identified by U.S. prosecutors as the operational leader of Forsage, a 'DeFi' platform they call a ~$340M Ponzi and pyramid scheme. He was indicted in the U.S. in 2023 (charges pending) and, per reporting, was convicted in absentia in Georgia in 2024.
Founder of PGI (Praetorian Group International), which raised $201M+ as a Bitcoin Ponzi/MLM scheme (2020–2021). He pleaded guilty in 2025 to wire fraud and money laundering and was sentenced in February 2026 to 20 years in prison.
Estonian co-founder of HashFlare, a cloud-mining service the DOJ called a $577M Ponzi scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy in 2025 and was sentenced to time served (16 months).
Estonian co-founder of HashFlare, a cloud-mining service the DOJ called a $577M Ponzi scheme. He pleaded guilty to wire-fraud conspiracy in 2025 and was sentenced to time served (16 months), forfeiting hundreds of millions for victims.
Co-founder of AirBit Club, a ~$100M global cryptocurrency pyramid scheme. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2023 to 12 years in prison, with a $65M forfeiture.
Founder of IcomTech, a purported crypto mining and trading company that the DOJ called a Ponzi scheme. He was convicted of wire-fraud conspiracy and sentenced in 2024 to 121 months (about 10 years) in prison.
The hacker who breached Bitfinex in 2016 and fraudulently transferred 119,754 BTC. He pleaded guilty in 2023 to a money-laundering conspiracy and admitted carrying out the hack; he was sentenced in November 2024 to five years in prison.
Founder of My Big Coin, a virtual currency he falsely marketed as gold-backed and partnered with MasterCard. A jury convicted him in 2022 of wire fraud and related counts; he was sentenced in 2023 to 100 months in prison and ~$7.6M in restitution and forfeiture.
Founder of GAW Miners and ZenMiner, which sold 'hashlets' and the PayCoin token. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud over a ~$9.18M virtual-currency Ponzi scheme and was sentenced in 2018 to 21 months in prison and over $9M in restitution.
Founder and CEO of Mining Capital Coin (MCC). The U.S. DOJ indicted him in 2022 for an alleged $62M global crypto investment fraud built on 'Mining Packages' and 'Trading Bots'; the SEC won a default judgment against him in a parallel civil case.
Russian national and founder/majority owner of the crypto exchange Bitzlato. Pleaded guilty in December 2023 to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business that processed $700M+ in illicit funds; sentenced in July 2024 to time served.
A Russian national who U.S. prosecutors say was an operator of the BTC-e cryptocurrency exchange. He pleaded guilty in 2024 to a money-laundering conspiracy; the DOJ said BTC-e handled over $9 billion and that he was responsible for at least $121 million in losses.
A 2014–2015 virtual currency created by Homero 'Josh' Garza via GAW Miners/ZenMiner. The SEC and DOJ said it was a Ponzi scheme built on 'Hashlets' that didn't exist plus false claims of a $100M reserve. Garza pleaded guilty to wire fraud; victims lost $9M+.
CEO of SafeMoon. Convicted by a federal jury in May 2025 of securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, and sentenced to 100 months in prison.
Named in a U.S. DOJ indictment (identified by ZachXBT as 'Box') over the August 2024 ~$243M social-engineering theft from a Genesis creditor.
Identified by ZachXBT (alias 'Greavys') and named in a U.S. DOJ indictment in connection with the August 2024 ~$243M social-engineering theft from a Genesis creditor.
An early Bitcoin Ponzi (2011–2012) run by Trendon Shavers ('pirateat40'), who promised up to 7% weekly returns and took in ~764,000 BTC. The SEC won a $40M+ judgment, and in 2016 Shavers was sentenced to 18 months — the first U.S. federal securities-fraud case involving Bitcoin.
A Dallas-based operation that sold the Bitqy and BitqyM tokens. The SEC said founders Bruce Bise and Samuel Mendez defrauded over 13,000 investors in unregistered offerings; the DOJ said the venture raised ~$24M. Both pleaded guilty to tax evasion and received 50-month prison terms.
A 2018 ICO by Titanium Blockchain (TBIS), led by Michael Stollery, that raised ~$21M for its 'BAR' token using fabricated testimonials and bogus partnerships (e.g. the Federal Reserve, PayPal, Boeing). The SEC froze it; Stollery was sentenced to 51 months.
A 2017 Texas ICO that marketed itself as the world's 'first decentralized bank' on the AriseCoin token, with false claims of FDIC insurance and a Visa partnership and a bogus '$600M raised'. The SEC halted it; the real fraud was ~$4M. CEO Jared Rice got 5 years.
A fraudulent virtual currency (MBC) marketed 2014–2017 as gold-backed and tradeable. Founder Randall Crater was convicted of wire fraud in 2022 and sentenced to over eight years; courts ordered ~$7.6M in restitution/forfeiture.
A purported crypto mining/trading company (founded ~2018) that the U.S. DOJ says was a Ponzi scheme promising guaranteed daily returns. Founder David Carmona was sentenced in 2024 to 121 months (~10 years) and ordered to forfeit ~$3.6M.
A BNB Chain token (2021) whose leaders, per the SEC/DOJ, falsely told investors the liquidity pool was 'locked' while retaining access and misappropriating assets worth more than $200M. CEO convicted in 2025.
A ~$147M pyramid scheme (2013–2015) by U.S. Fine Investment Arts (USFIA) that sold 'Gem Coins' — a digital currency falsely claimed to be backed by billions in amber and gemstones from nonexistent mines. Founder Steve Chen pleaded guilty and was sentenced in 2021 to 10 years.
A Houston-based operation that the SEC says was a $300M Ponzi scheme targeting 40,000+ predominantly Latino investors with promises of 15–100% returns from crypto and forex trading. The SEC halted it in 2022 and later charged 17 network leaders; founder Mauricio Chavez pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
A Russian-run crypto exchange that the U.S. DOJ says processed at least $96B since 2019 while laundering proceeds for ransomware crews, darknet markets, and North Korea's Lazarus Group. Sanctioned by OFAC in 2022; its infrastructure was seized in March 2025 and two administrators were indicted.