A Dozen New Defendants Charged in Alleged RICO Conspiracy Tied to $263,000,000 Crypto Theft

A Dozen New Defendants Charged in Alleged RICO Conspiracy Tied to $263,000,000 Crypto Theft

12 individuals are being accused by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, for their suspected involvement in a large-scale cryptocurrency heist worth millions.

As a diligent researcher, I’m sharing an update: In a recent announcement, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted an additional 12 individuals for their alleged involvement in a crypto-related racketeering scheme. This brings the total number of suspects implicated to 14. The conspiracy is said to have amassed approximately $263 million in illicit gains.

Two individuals among the group, yet to be apprehended, are believed to currently reside in Dubai. All of them have been indicted for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.

In September of last year, two individuals residing in California, Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano, were taken into custody and accused of involvement in a complex scheme. It is alleged that these men illegally acquired approximately 4,100 Bitcoins, valued at around $230 million at the time, from an anonymous individual based in Washington, D.C. In an attempt to disguise and clean the stolen funds, they employed sophisticated methods.

As per the official statement, it appears that this pair wasn’t working independently but had a support network consisting of hackers, event coordinators, money launderers, phone operators, and residential burglars. This team had been active since October 2023, with their main focus being to target hard wallets. They initially connected through online gaming platforms.

The charges against the suspects show they splurged the stolen money on high-end goods like houses, vehicles, designer handbags, watches, jewelry, and extravagant nights out at clubs worth up to half a million dollars each, as well as hiring private security personnel and chartering private aircraft for their organization.

In case they are declared guilty, the judge will impose a punishment appropriate according to established sentencing rules.

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2025-05-17 22:08