Federal prosecutors have formally charged two cryptocurrency fraudsters, 20-year-old Marlon Lam and 21-year-old Jandiel Serrano, with stealing $230 million worth of cryptocurrency, first revealed by blockchain sleuth ZachXBT.
ZachXBT claimed the two men were arrested last night at their respective homes in Miami and Los Angeles, with a lengthy post detailing internal conversations Thursday morning to plan the hack and conceal the stolen funds.
Ram, also known as “Anne Hathaway” and “$$$,” and Serrano, who goes by “Versacegod” and “@Skidstar,” are accused of stealing and laundering funds. Veer Chetal, also known as “Wiz,” was named by ZachXBT but was not named in the FBI investigation.
The FBI claims the perpetrators used the funds, allegedly stolen from early Bitcoin investors and creditors of the now-defunct lending company Genesis, on “international travel, nightclubs, luxury cars, watches, jewelry, designer handbags, and rental homes.”
ZachXBT, a researcher who requested anonymity, told X that he first discovered the potential theft of 4,100 bitcoins in August and has since started working with authorities and security firms Cryptoforensic Investigators and zeroShadow to track the funds.
He described the financial forensics investigation as “one of the best investigations of my life.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office are currently pursuing an “ongoing investigation” that may involve others.
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