Crypto Con Artist Nets Two-Year Jail Term; Coinbase Debunks Mixer Myth

Authorities have jailed the CEO of a crypto investment firm in the United States after orchestrating a fraudulent scheme. The scheme involves the culprit taking investors’ funds under the pretext of trading but keeping the profits to himself.

DoJ Jailed Fraudulent CEO

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has announced that Peter Kambolin, the CEO of Systematic Alpha Management, will serve a 2-year two jail term for his role in directing a Bitcoin fraud operation known as “cherry picking.” Kambolin completed transactions on behalf of pool participants and his accounts within the specified time frame.

He committed fraud by manipulating the revenues and losses from these trades to benefit his accounts. Cherry-picking executes deals without allocating direct accountability to a specific trading account. The attribution assessment is based on whether the agreement resulted in gains or losses.

However, Kambolin closely monitored every transaction throughout the day. By meticulously selecting the most profitable Bitcoin transactions, he created an environment where he could trade without risk while his investors bore the brunt of the losses.

Kambolin used the money he made from this fraudulent scam to pay for personal expenses, including a beachfront condo lease. Furthermore, he transferred the money to overseas bank accounts in Belarus and Dominica, which his business partner oversaw.

Meanwhile, a recent Chainalysis analysis indicated that using stable currencies was the most common method adopted in Bitcoin scams over the past year. The survey found a considerable decrease of 29.2% in the overall illegal revenue from crypto schemes over the previous year.

Rising Crypto Scams

Data shows that there has been a rising number of prosecutions associated with cryptocurrency fraud over the last few months. In November 2023, criminal accusations against two individuals residing in Arizona who were implicated in an illicit cryptocurrency investment scheme made the headlines.

A complete 55-count indictment has been lodged against the defendants, which includes allegations of transactional money laundering and wire fraud. The culpable individuals reportedly operated multiple enterprises under false identities.

In addition, Now Mining, a prominent crypto miner, is among the indicted firms after it promised investors “risk-free” investments in leases for Bitcoin mining devices allegedly located in other nations. Simultaneously, an alternative organization called VIP Mining offered opportunities for direct investments in Bitcoin mining equipment situated solely in Arizona.

The intricate network of charges suggests the existence of a sophisticated scheme designed to deceive investors through various investment opportunities, which include profits from crypto mining in the local area and operations in other countries.

The legal proceedings initiated regarding these cases indicate the regulatory bodies’ resolve to combat fraudulent activities within the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Coinbase Issues Statement About Crypto Mixers

Meanwhile, Coinbase recently responded to the United States Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, contesting the widely held idea that Bitcoin mixers are intrinsically related to criminal activity. Coinbase argued that while the regulator didn’t mention the benefits of cryptocurrency mixers, their discussion was limited to the most superficial features.

Furthermore, Coinbase stated that there’s a legitimate use of these platforms by individuals seeking transaction anonymity, especially when concerned about possible government surveillance. The press release highlights the importance of financial privacy, adding that pursuing such a high level of secrecy is not unreasonable.

Coinbase backs up its argument with blockchain analytics data, showing that most BTCs moved to mixing services in 2022 from legitimate sources. Furthermore, the letter disclosed that money laundering accounted for only 0.5% of cryptocurrency transactions in 2021.

Proposing Crypto Mixer Guidelines

Nevertheless, FinCEN has issued new regulations classifying all users as potential anti-money laundering violators to tighten scrutiny on users of convertible virtual currency (CVC) mixing services in the United States. Thus, Coinbase states that it already adheres to extensive record-keeping policies and that the proposed restrictions will exacerbate unnecessary administrative duties.

Instead, the exchange recommends a cooperative method where regulators actively assist cryptocurrency exchanges in enhancing their efficiency and detecting suspicious activity related to CVC mixers rather than putting unnecessary burdens on exchanges.