Karl Greenwood, co-founder of the OneCoin cryptocurrency rip-off, has been sentenced to 20 years in jail and ordered to repay $300 million. This rip-off, related to the infamous “Cryptoqueen” Ruja Ignatova, defrauded tens of millions of victims worldwide, leading to a complete lack of $four billion.
The 46-year previous Greenwood, a citizen of the UK and Sweden, co-founded OneCoin with Ignatova in 2014. He was arrested in Thailand in 2018 and confronted fees of fraud and cash laundering, resulting in his extradition to the US. Ignatova is a fugitive since 2017 and faces comparable fees. She was added to the FBI’s High 10 Most Wished Listing in June 2022.
As a worldwide pyramid rip-off that aimed to capitalize on Bitcoin’s success, OneCoin, in line with officers, used the recognition of Bitcoin to persuade buyers that OneCoin was “the following ‘can’t miss’ funding alternative.”
Greenwood, OneCoin Proper-Hand Man
Greenwood was the first organizer of a Ponzi scheme involving over 3.5 million individuals who purchased cryptocurrency packages and earned commissions for recruiting others, though the OneCoin tokens they invested in have been nugatory. Buyers finally misplaced all the things, in line with Damian Williams, the US Lawyer for the Southern District of New York.
The OneCoin crew promoted its product by likening it to Bitcoin, however in line with the US Justice Division, they didn’t possess a professional blockchain system that was publicly verifiable. They lacked mining operations and didn’t have as many cash on their personal blockchain as they claimed to have bought.
Bitcoin virtually touching the $26Okay deal with right now. Chart: TradingView.com
Greenwood amassed over greater than $300 million via the scheme, which he subsequently utilized for varied expenditures, akin to a $10,000 keep at an opulent five-star resort in Brazil, and a $21,000 keep at an opulent villa in Thailand. He additionally purchased designer clothes and watches, a yacht, invested in actual property throughout a number of international locations, and bought a non-public “OneCoin” plane, in line with prosecutors.
Williams mentioned:
“We hope this prolonged sentence resonates within the monetary sector and deters anybody who could also be tempted to mislead buyers and exploit the cryptocurrency ecosystem via fraud.”
In 2014, a lady named Ruja Ignatova launched a pretend cryptocurrency named “OneCoin”. Regardless of the forex by no means present, Ruja satisfied folks all around the world to speculate. In 2017, after raking in $four billion revenue, she boarded a aircraft to Greece and hasn’t been seen since. pic.twitter.com/DoJCfmy0Uj
— Informative & Attention-grabbing (@geniusbrain_in) March 15, 2023
On Plastic Surgical procedures & Armed Bodyguards
Ignatova’s inclusion on the FBI’s 10 Most Wished Listing marks her because the 11th lady to have achieved this distinction. The checklist, which has encompassed over 500 fugitives since its institution, serves as a notable index of these sought by the FBI. There was no additional inclusion of girls.
The FBI is providing a reward of as much as $250,000 for data that helps in her arrest, as acknowledged on the bureau’s Most Wished web site. Her FBI profile notes that she is suspected of touring with armed guards and should have undergone cosmetic surgery or different adjustments to her look.
Featured picture OneCoin co-founder Karl Sebastian, Supply: Bitcoin Buzz
