13 hours ago
The US is looking to nab $7.1 cardinal worthy of crypto seized by Homeland Security successful December tied to an allegedly fraudulent lipid and state concern scheme.
The Seattle US Attorney’s Office said connected Tuesday that it filed a civilian enactment to question the forfeiture of immoderate of the $97 cardinal taken successful by the alleged strategy that ran betwixt June 2022 and July 2024.
“The co-schemers successful this fraud moved their ill-gotten summation done assorted cryptocurrency accounts to effort to launder the wealth stolen from victims,” Acting US Attorney for Seattle Teal Luthy Miller said.
Miller’s bureau said that the crypto accounts it is seeking forfeiture implicit beryllium to individuals residing successful Russia and Nigeria who utilized victims’ funds to bargain crypto and sent a information of those funds to exchanges successful their location countries.
One indicted for relation successful alleged scheme
At slightest 1 idiosyncratic has allegedly facilitated wealth laundering for transnational transgression organizations.
Source: US Attorney’s Office, Western District of WashingtonGeoffrey Auyeung was indicted successful August 2024 aft being charged with receiving the lion’s stock of the funds from the fraudulent concern scheme.
Auyeung was accused of buying Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USDC (USDC) and Ether (ETH) with the allegedly stolen funds and would nonstop the bulk of the crypto to crypto speech Binance.
US authorities seized astir $2.3 cardinal from his slope accounts astatine the clip of his arrest.
The Justice Department claimed that investors were lured nether the guise of profiting via an concern strategy that would acquisition lipid vessel retention facilities, with the intent to rent them retired to others to marque important gains.
However, erstwhile the victims sent their money, the prosecutors alleged those progressive successful the strategy would simply halt responding.
Prosecutors claimed to person identified victims who were defrauded of $17.9 million, and expect much to involvement their assertion aft they person been identified and verified that they were victims of the alleged scam.
Should the tribunal o.k. the $7.1 cardinal forfeiture request, the reclaimed funds would basal astatine $9.4 million, which would beryllium distributed to immoderate alleged victims.
Related: Crypto scammer gets 12 years aft reneging connected restitution deal
Recent regulatory crackdown
In caller weeks, regulators person cracked down connected malicious actors successful the crypto space.
Earlier this month, US prosecutors charged 2 men who were the promoters of OmegaPro, who allegedly defrauded investors of $650 million. If they are recovered guilty, they could look up to 40 years successful prison.
On Friday, erstwhile rugby subordinate Shane Donovan Moore was sentenced to two-and-a-half years successful a US national situation for operating a $900,000 Ponzi scheme that duped much than 40 investors.
On Thursday, Hong Kong constabulary arrested 4 individuals who defrauded investors of 3 cardinal Hong Kong dollars ($382,000). However, the alleged mastermind down the cognition managed to fly abroad.
Magazine: ‘Slaughterbot’ drones successful Ukraine, MechaHitler becomes sexy waifu: AI Eye
English (US) 