The United States has successfully recovered approximately $2.5 million in virtual currency involved in fraudulent cryptocurrency schemes, as ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Amir H. Ali. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, Chief John Lynch of the Department of Justice's Computer Crimes and Intellectual Property Section, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy from the San Diego Field Office.
U.S. Attorney Pirro emphasized the commitment to hold fraudsters accountable: “Whether they are in our district’s streets or hiding behind a computer screen abroad, the United States will continue to hold fraudsters and grifters responsible, seize money they scam from hardworking Americans, and use our authority to compensate victims.”
Special Agent Moy highlighted the impact on victims: “Cryptocurrency confidence schemes defraud and manipulate vulnerable victims into losing devastating amounts of money. We hope today’s announcement brings a measure of justice to the victims and serves as a reminder, the FBI will hold fraudsters accountable, no matter where they are located.”
Individuals who suspect they have been victimized by cybercrime can report their experiences to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at https://www.ic3.gov.
The asset forfeiture process aims to deter criminal activity by depriving criminals of property gained through illegal means while promoting cooperation among law enforcement agencies globally. It also focuses on recovering assets for victim compensation. More information is available at https://www.justice.gov/afp.
This investigation was led by the FBI San Diego Field Office with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and FBI’s Virtual Asset Unit. The Department acknowledged Tether for its role in facilitating asset transfer.
Prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Blaylock Jr., Kevin Rosenberg, Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz, Gaelin Bernstein, along with Supervisory Paralegal Gina Torres.
