2 Stole $230 Million in Cryptocurrency and Went on a Spending Spree, U.S. Says

U.S.|2 Stole $230 Million successful Cryptocurrency and Went connected a Spending Spree, U.S. Says

Two men person been charged with stealing $230 cardinal worthy of cryptocurrency that they utilized to spell connected a lavish spending spree involving travel, nightclubs, luxury cars, jewelry and palatial rental properties successful Los Angeles and Miami earlier they were caught, national prosecutors said.

The men, Malone Lam, 20, and Jeandiel Serrano, 21, conspired past period to bargain the cryptocurrency funds from a idiosyncratic successful Washington, D.C., which they past laundered done a fig of exchanges and mixing services, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

After disguising their theft by spreading the wealth betwixt respective cryptocurrency exchanges and mixing services, the authorities said, the men went connected their spending spree.

Mr. Lam, a national of Singapore who operated nether aliases including “Anne Hathaway,” and Mr. Serrano, who went by “VersaceGod," were arrested by the F.B.I. connected Wednesday.

In an indictment unsealed connected Thursday, Mr. Lam and Mr. Serrano were charged with conspiracy to perpetrate ligament fraud and wealth laundering. Lawyers for the 2 men could not instantly beryllium reached connected Friday.

The U.S. attorney’s bureau did not instantly respond to a petition for much details regarding however the men had gained entree to the victim’s money. The indictment said lone that the 2 had “engaged successful integer communications” with the unfortunate connected Aug. 18 and “through specified communications fraudulently obtained the means” to transportation and bargain the funds. In a quality release, the attorney’s bureau said the probe was continuing.

The unfortunate was not named successful the indictment. According to the document, the 2 men had gained entree to his 4,100 successful Bitcoin, estimated to beryllium worthy much than $230 cardinal astatine the time.

Cryptocurrencies similar Bitcoin are integer tokens that tin beryllium exchanged online and are not overseen by immoderate cardinal authority. Transactions are verified done cryptography and recorded successful a nationalist ledger, called a blockchain. In 2022, the satellite of cryptocurrency was rocked by the illness of FTX, an speech founded by Sam Bankman-Fried. By this year, cryptocurrencies person regained their value.

News media successful Florida reported that connected Wednesday the F.B.I. and the Miami constabulary raided a waterfront mansion adjacent Miami Shores, Fla., successful transportation with the investigation. Neighbors told reporters that the location had precocious drawn attraction due to the fact that of its large parties and fancy cars. The Miami Herald reported that the palatial location was an Airbnb rental and that Maseratis and Lamborghinis had been seen parked successful the gait outside.