If convicted, Rashawn Russell of Brooklyn will face a most of 20 years in jail.
A former Brooklyn funding banker and registered dealer is being arraigned on an indictment charging him with perpetrating a cryptocurrency funding fraud scheme.
Rashawn Russell, 27, of Brooklyn was arrested on April 10, in Brooklyn. He was arraigned in federal courtroom earlier than U.S. Justice of the Peace Decide Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. on April 11.
“As alleged, Russell turned the demand for cryptocurrency investments right into a scheme to defraud quite a few buyers as a way to fund his way of life,” stated U.S. Legal professional for the Japanese District of New York, Breon Peace.
Russell previously labored as an funding banker and was a registered dealer with the Monetary Trade Regulatory Authority.
As alleged in courtroom paperwork, Russell engaged in a scheme to defraud a number of buyers by falsely promising that their cash could be used for cryptocurrency investments that may generate giant — and generally assured — returns.
In fact, a lot of the buyers’ cash was misappropriated by Russell and used for his private profit, to gamble and to repay different buyers.
As a part of the scheme, Russell lied to buyers concerning the standing of their investments and fabricated a number of paperwork that he despatched to buyers. As alleged, he despatched one investor an altered picture of a financial institution stability displayed on a financial institution web site.
When one other investor sought to recoup their funding, Russell by no means despatched the cash and as an alternative despatched the investor a fabricated financial institution wire switch affirmation.
The cost within the indictment is an allegation and Russell is presumed harmless till confirmed responsible past an inexpensive doubt. If convicted, he faces a most of 20 years in jail.
“This workplace will proceed to aggressively pursue fraudsters perpetrating these schemes in opposition to buyers within the digital asset markets,” stated Peace.
The federal government’s case is being dealt with by Assistant U.S. Legal professional Drew Rolle from the enterprise and securities fraud part of the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Japanese District of New York and Assistant Chief Scott Armstrong and Trial Legal professional Kyle Crawford from the Division of Justice’s felony division, fraud part.
