Ronald Spektor, 23, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $16 million from about 100 Coinbase users. He posed as a company representative and directed victims to transfer funds to wallets he controlled.
The scheme ran for more than a year, with victims across the United States; some lost more than $1 million each, the Brooklyn district attorney’s office said. Prosecutors said Spektor moved the cryptocurrency through multiple exchanges and routed it to gambling services, online storefronts and cash-out points.
Spektor pleaded guilty on Sept. 2 to all 31 counts, including first-degree money laundering and grand larceny. He was ordered to forfeit cash, cryptocurrency and personal property worth more than $500,000 and make nearly $16 million in restitution.
