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A Brazilian citizen appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle following extradition from Switzerland to face $290 million Bitcoin investment fraud charges. According to the press release from the US Department of Justice, Douver T. Braga pleaded not guilty to a 13-count indictment involving wire fraud and conspiracy related to the Trade Coin Club (TCC) scheme. Braga, 48, operated TCC from 2016 to 2021, primarily while residing in Florida. The platform, purportedly based in Belize, attracted over 126,000 members across 231 countries by promising returns through Bitcoin ( BTC ) trading software. However, investigators found no evidence of any trading platform or software existing. The indictment reveals that investors entrusted more than 82,000 Bitcoin, valued at over $290 million during the investment period, to TCC. Braga allegedly misappropriated these funds, transferring at least $50 million in Bitcoin to accounts under his control between December 2016 and July 2019. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller characterized the operation as a traditional Ponzi scheme, where early investors were paid using deposits from newer participants. Braga promoted TCC globally, conducting presentations in Thailand, Nigeria, and Macau throughout 2017. The scheme began surfacing in late 2017 when investors reported difficulties accessing their funds. By January 2018, TCC announced its cessation of U.S. operations and canceled user accounts, affecting several investors in Washington state. Federal investigators shared details of major tax evasion, with Braga allegedly failing to report substantial cryptocurrency earnings: The defendant faces 12 counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, each carrying a maximum 20-year prison sentence if proven guilty. This case joins a growing list of major cryptocurrency fraud prosecutions. In December 2024, Argentine authorities seized a $3.5 million USDT wallet connected to the Rainbowex trading Ponzi scheme. They also froze additional crypto wallets and bank accounts of suspected participants. In October 2024, disbarred California attorney David Kagel, 86, received five years of probation and was ordered to pay $13.94 million in restitution for operating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of approximately $15 million. The series of prosecutions shows law enforcement’s increasing focus on cryptocurrency fraud across international jurisdictions. The agencies are also collaborating and using various methods to track and seize the crypto involved in these financial crimes.

SafeMoon CTO pleads guilty to $200M crypto fraud Thomas Smith, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of U.S. blockchain company SafeMoon, has pleaded guilty to participating in a $200 million cryptocurrency fraud, as reported by Cointelegraph. He admitted to two charges in a case highlighted by extensive fraudulent activities, according to U.S. prosecutors. In November 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) jointly filed charges against Smith, along with SafeMoon CEO Braden John Karony and founder Kyle Nagy. These charges include conspiracies related to securities fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.

Argentine president Javier Milei is defending himself amidst accusations of fraud and calls for impeachment following his promotion of the $LIBRA token. Speaking during an interview with Jonatan Viale on TN’s “¿La Ves?” on Monday, Milei claimed he simply shared information about the project rather than actively promoting it. “I didn’t promote it, I shared it,” Milei explained. “I did it because I’m a fanatical techno-optimist.” “I acted in good faith and I got slapped,” Milei said, addressing the controversy. He maintained that the incident affected only a small number of Argentines, with most investors being Chinese and American. Explaining the reason for sharing, Milei stated that he shared the $LIBRA token information because he is enthusiastic about such projects and discovered it shortly after its creation. “I shared this like I shared hundreds of things. My tweet was three minutes after the coin was created because I am a fan of this stuff,” he mentioned. Milei claimed that those who invested in $LIBRA were well aware of the risks involved. He disputed claims of widespread impact, insisting that the actual figure was far less than 44,000. “The claim that 44,000 people were affected is simply wrong. The real number is closer to 5,000, at most. And it’s highly unlikely any Argentinians were involved. These are sophisticated traders, volatility traders who knew what they were getting into,” he asserted. “…they did it voluntarily.” The president revealed he met Hayden Davis, who facilitated the token launch , at Casa Rosada in October 2024. He said that Davis proposed creating a financing structure for entrepreneurs lacking traditional funding options. “When the Libra thing became public, I spread the word,” Milei said, explaining that his first tweet was to help Argentines who do not have access to traditional financing. When asked why he deleted the tweet, Milei said he removed it due to negative feedback. “When people started saying my account was hacked, I pinned the tweet to show it was really me. But then the negative comments piled up, so I took the tweet down to avoid confusion. I never actually deleted it, though – I just hid it,” he said. He denied government involvement in the operation but warned that “if the justice system determines otherwise, heads will roll.”

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will fire 15,000 employees next week, right in the middle of tax season, according to a report from AP. The mass termination is happening under Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.), a temporary agency created by executive order to cut federal jobs and slash government spending. The layoffs come after the Trump administration ordered all federal agencies to terminate probationary employees who haven’t secured civil service protection. It’s unclear if more IRS workers will be affected, but sources say the cuts are happening fast. IRS blocks tax season workers from taking buyouts The administration had already launched a “deferred resignation program” designed to push federal employees out with buyout offers. The deadline to apply was February 6, and workers who accepted will keep getting paid until September 30—even after leaving their jobs. But for IRS employees working on the 2025 tax season, the buyout was off-limits. The agency sent a letter telling them they must stay until the April 15 tax filing deadline before they could leave. The IRS started processing tax returns on January 27 and expects to handle over 140 million filings before the cutoff. The agency had been on track to expand operations after receiving $80 billion through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The funding was meant to hire thousands of new workers and upgrade enforcement technology. But that plan fell apart. Republicans clawed back much of the money, and Elon’s D.O.G.E. is now eliminating positions instead of creating them. 14 states sue D.O.G.E. over government overreach Elon’s D.O.G.E. isn’t just cutting jobs—it’s also taking control of federal data. Attorneys general from 14 states sued this week, accusing the agency of operating without oversight. The lawsuit, filed in Washington federal court, argues that D.O.G.E. is making decisions only a Senate-confirmed official should be allowed to make. The complaint claims Elon’s team has “virtually unchecked power” and is violating constitutional rules about government agencies. The attorneys general argue that Trump’s executive order didn’t go through Congress, making D.O.G.E. legally questionable. A federal judge ruled in Elon’s favor on Friday, denying an attempt to block D.O.G.E. from accessing government records. Unions and nonprofit groups had filed for a temporary restraining order, trying to stop D.O.G.E. from collecting data from three federal agencies. The Department of Labor, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Judge John Bates, appointed by George W. Bush, said the case was a “close question” but ultimately ruled that D.O.G.E. is an agency. That means it can send its employees to other government offices and access their records under the Economy Act. “The plaintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood that [D.O.G.E.] is not an agency,” Bates wrote. “If that is so, [D.O.G.E.] may detail its employees to other agencies consistent with the Economy Act.” Federal judge questions D.O.G.E.’s legal structure Elon’s D.O.G.E. was designed to operate outside normal government channels. Instead of answering to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), it reports directly to Trump’s chief of staff. Judge Bates called that structure “odd,” saying D.O.G.E. had been built to “avoid being an agency,” while still claiming agency privileges when it was convenient. “They took great effort to avoid being an agency, but in this case, you’re an agency,” Bates said. “It just seems to strain credulity.” The ruling gives Elon’s team full access to federal data, and the Justice Department is backing them. Government lawyers argued that D.O.G.E. employees are “detailed” government workers, meaning they have legal rights to see sensitive records. Elon reposted the ruling on X, writing: “LFG.” Concerns over Elon’s access to federal data Union attorneys representing Labor Department workers say D.O.G.E. could now access confidential financial, medical, and employment records. Lawyer Mark Samburg told the court that D.O.G.E. employees could pull data on taxpayer information, employee complaints, workplace safety violations, and medical histories. Some records involve ongoing investigations into Elon’s own companies. Tesla and SpaceX are both under review for workplace issues, and there’s concern that D.O.G.E. could get access to those files. Samburg warned that the ruling could have a “chilling effect” on government whistleblowers. Employees might hesitate to report problems or file complaints if they think D.O.G.E. could access their information. “The sensitive information of millions of people is currently at imminent risk of unlawful disclosure,” Samburg said. Unions and advocacy groups pushed for a temporary restraining order to prevent D.O.G.E. from pulling data until stricter oversight was put in place. Judge Bates denied the request. For now, Elon’s agency moves forward. The IRS terminations will happen next week. The layoffs, the data access, and the lawsuits are all in motion. Cryptopolitan Academy: Are You Making These Web3 Resume Mistakes? - Find Out Here

Russian national Alexander Vinnik, previously convicted for running a multi-billion-dollar money-laundering operation through his BTC-e crypto exchange, has been released in a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States. In return, Moscow freed American schoolteacher Marc Fogel, who had been detained on drug charges. Vinnik’s Role in BTC-e and Legal Troubles Vinnik operated the BTC-e platform from 2011 to 2017 when he was arrested by police in Greece at the request of American law enforcement agencies. According to the U.S. Justice Department, the exchange processed transactions worth more than $9 billion across six years, much of which was allegedly tied to crimes such as ransomware attacks, drug trafficking, and identity theft. Authorities claim that BTC-e’s lack of anti-money laundering (AML) and Know-Your-Customer (KYC) policies made it attractive to cybercriminals. Vinnik was extradited to France in 2020 and sentenced to five years for money laundering. He was later sent back to Greece before finally being handed over to the Americans in 2022. In May 2024, the Russian pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and faced up to 20 years in prison. During his trial, prosecutors accused Vinnik of facilitating over $120 million in losses and described BTC-e as a “significant cybercrime and online money laundering entity.” Millions of dollars worth of assets belonging to the platform were seized, including $90 million that authorities bagged in New Zealand. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury Department imposed a $120 million fine on the exchange, with Vinnik personally facing a $12 million penalty. A Long-Running Extradition Battle Before his transfer to the U.S., the 45-year-old had been at the center of an international legal battle involving France, Russia, and the United States. While Russia sought his extradition on lesser fraud charges amounting to just $11,000, France and the U.S. pursued him for broader financial crimes. In 2023, his lawyers tried to include him in a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap involving journalist Evan Gershkovich, but it was unsuccessful. His exchange for Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia, marks a rare moment of cooperation between the two countries, especially coming against the backdrop of the ongoing Ukraine war. Vinnik will have to forfeit tens of millions of dollars in assets as part of the deal. The post BTC-e Operator Released in US-Russia Prisoner Swap appeared first on CryptoPotato.