The U.S. Division of Justice on Friday discovered Karl Sebastian Greenwood, an affiliate of “Crypto Queen” Ruja Ignatova and co-founder of OneCoin, responsible of federal prices of wire fraud and cash laundering associated to the OneCoin rip-off. introduced that it has acknowledged
“As founder and chief of OneCoin, Karl Sebastian Greenwood operated one of many largest worldwide fraud schemes ever undertaken,” U.S. Lawyer Damian Williams mentioned in an announcement. “Greenwood and his co-conspirators, together with fugitive Ruja Ignatova, swindled unsuspecting victims out of billions of {dollars} by claiming OneCoin would turn into a ‘Bitcoin killer’. The truth is, OneCoins was utterly nugatory.”
Launched by Ruja Ignatova and Greenwood in 2014, OneCoin was marketed as a minable cryptocurrency by way of a world multi-level advertising community. Members acquired a fee for recruiting others to buy “cryptocurrency” packages.In contrast to Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Dogecoin, OneCoin can’t be mined as a result of the blockchain didn’t exist was.
Greenwood was arrested in Thailand in July 2018 and extradited to the USA in October 2018. Added to the FBI’s 10 Most Wished Checklist.
In line with the company, Greenwood acted as a “international grasp distributor” and was a pacesetter in a multi-level advertising community the place illicit cryptocurrencies have been marketed and bought. In line with the Justice Division, victims worldwide have invested greater than $4 billion within the rip-off.
Williams mentioned Greenwood’s assertion was designed to get on a regular basis folks all over the world to half with their hard-earned cash and put a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars} into their very own pockets. and different OneCoin operators detailing “exit methods” from fraud.
On December 7, 2022, at Williams’ request, the paperwork have been opened within the Southern District of New York. The doc particulars wire fraud and cash laundering conspiracy prices towards former Luxembourg intelligence officer Frank Schneider, who served as OneCoin’s disaster administration chief after a 2020 grand jury trial. I am right here.
Cryptoqueen’s story has been overshadowed by the collapse of a number of high-profile cryptocurrency companies, together with FTX, however Ignatova stays a fascination amongst time crime addicts. February 2022, deadline We reported that the story of Ruja Ignatova and OneCoin is being tailored for tv.
“This responsible plea by the co-founder of OneCoin caps every week on SDNY. It sends a transparent message that persons are coming after them,” Williams mentioned. .
