'BitBoy Crypto' intentionally misses court appearance to address alleged harassment

Ben Armstrong, besides known arsenic ‘BitBoy Crypto’, missed a tribunal quality ordered by a national magistrate justice successful effect to the YouTuber’s alleged harassment of counsel successful a suit involving respective crypto influencers.

Judge Melissa Damian had ordered Armstrong and his counsel to look connected April 20 to code the YouTuber’s “harassment towards plaintiffs’ counsel.” However, Armstrong openly mocked the bid connected societal media, alternatively tweeting pictures of himself connected a formation successful the Bahamas.

According to assorted reports, Judge Damian warned Armstrong’s lawyer — who was successful attendance, arsenic ordered — that she would contented a warrant for the YouTuber’s apprehension if helium failed to look by April 24. The harassment lawsuit against Armstrong moved guardant without him arsenic the justice reportedly referred the substance to the FBI.

Individuals affected by the illness of FTX filed a class-action lawsuit against Armstrong and respective different YouTubers successful March for allegedly promoting fraud done the speech “without disclosing compensation.” Moskowitz, the pb lawyer representing the plaintiffs successful that case, claimed that Armstrong harassed the ineligible squad with “endless telephone calls, tweets and emails,” voicemails “full of vulgarities,” and societal media posts suggesting threats.

Amid tribunal proceedings connected April 20, the YouTuber continued to mock the harassment lawsuit and Moskowitz. However, helium said that helium was “not flying by the spot of [his] pants,” hinting that his lack from tribunal whitethorn person been with the proposal of counsel. He reportedly offered done counsel to look earlier the justice successful May.

As portion of the judge’s bid connected April 20, Armstrong volition reportedly beryllium barred from tweeting astir Moskowitz and the plaintiffs successful the case. He antecedently compared the lawyer to an ambulance chaser and a pig successful summation to mostly dismissing the ground of the lawsuit. Cointelegraph reached retired to Moskowitz for comment, but did not person a effect astatine the clip of publication.

Related: Multiple Silvergate lawsuits implicit alleged FTX ties combined by judge

A crypto influencer with much than 1 cardinal followers connected Twitter and 1.4 cardinal YouTube subscribers, Armstrong is nary alien to online controversy. He has insulted high-profile figures including European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission seat Gary Gensler successful summation to others affecting argumentation successful the space.

Magazine: Get your wealth back: The weird satellite of crypto litigation