District of Columbia Additional 12 Defendants Charged in RICO Conspiracy for over 263 Million Cryptocurrency Thefts Money Laundering Home BreakIns United States Department of Justice
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ppWASHINGTON A fourcount superseding indictment unsealed today in US District Court charges 12 additional people Americans and foreign nationals for allegedly participating in a cyberenabled racketeering conspiracy throughout the United States and abroad that netted them more than 263 million Several were arrested this week in California while two remain abroad and are believed to be living in DubaippThe superseding indictment and the arrests were announced by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A Carter of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington DC Field OfficeppThe defendants listed below face charges that include RICO conspiracy conspiracy to commit wire fraud money laundering and obstruction of justice The superseding indictment adds charges originally brought against Malone Lam on Sept 19 2024ppAccording to the superseding indictment the enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through March 2025 It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platformsppMembers of the enterprise held different responsibilities The various roles included database hackers organizers target identifiers callers money launderers and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency walletsppDatabase hackers hacked websites and servers to obtain cryptocurrencyrelated databases or purchased databases on the darkweb Organizers and target identifiers organized and collated information across the databases to determine the most valuable targets Callers coldcalled victims and used social engineering to convince them their accounts were the subject of cyberattacks and the enterprise callers were attempting to help secure their accounts Money launderers received the stolen crypto currency and turned it into fiat US currency in the form of bulk cash or wire transfersppAccording to the indictment members and associates of the enterprise used the stolen virtual currency to purchase among other things nightclub services ranging up to 500000 per evening luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties luxury watches valued between 100000 and 500000 luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars rental homes in Los Angeles the Hamptons and Miami private jet rentals a team of private security guards and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from 100000 to 38 millionppAccording to the indictment members of the enterprise laundered stolen cryptocurrency proceeds by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using peel chains passthrough wallets and virtual private networks to mask their true identities ppThe indictment alleges that in one instance on Aug 18 2024 Malone Lam and contacted a victim in DC and through the communications with that victim fraudulently obtained over 4100 Bitcoin worth over 230 million at the time In another instance in July 2024 Malone Lam and others are accused of stealing over 14 million in cryptocurrency from an additional victimppThe indictment alleges that members of the enterprise also committed home breakins As alleged in the Indictment Marlon Ferro traveled to New Mexico in July 2024 and broke into a victims home to steal their hardware virtual currency wallet while Lam monitored the victims location by logging into his iCloud accountppThe superseding indictment also alleges that the enterprise engaged in significant money laundering activity Kunal Mehta Hamza Doost Joel Cortez and Evan Tangeman are alleged to have engaged in unlicensed cryptotocash services for the enterprise obtained luxury rental homes for members of the enterprise using fake identity documents booked private jet travel with stolen cryptocurrency for the enterprise concealed ownership of exotic cars by registering them in shell company names and shipped bulk cash through US mail to members of the enterprise hidden in squishmallow stuffed animalsppFollowing his arrest in September 2024 and continuing while in pretrial detention Lam is alleged to have continued working with members of the enterprise to pass and receive directions collect stolen cryptocurrency and to have enterprise members buy luxury Hermes Birkin bags and hand deliver them to his girlfriend in Miami FloridappThis ongoing investigation is being handled by the US Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia the FBIs Washington Field Office and the IRSCriminal Investigation Washington DC Field Office Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBIs Los Angeles and Miami field officesppThe matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the US Attorneys Office for the District of ColumbiappIf found guilty the defendants sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factorsppAn indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of lawpp ppDefendantsppMiami FloridappLos Angeles CalifppSingaporeppNApppp24cr417ppUSADCMediausdojgovppAlvin Alexis Cruz Garcia 27 of Washington DC was found guilty on June 6 2025 by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at theppParren Hawkins 33 of the District of Columbia pleaded guilty today to carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a carjacking that occurred on February 2 2025ppFranco Rawlings Jr 24 of the District of Columbia was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in the Trinidad neighborhood of NortheastppDistrict of Columbia
Main Office
601 D Street NW
Washington DCppEmail USAODCppTelephone 202 2527566
ppStay ConnectedppppHave a question about Government Servicesp
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ppWASHINGTON A fourcount superseding indictment unsealed today in US District Court charges 12 additional people Americans and foreign nationals for allegedly participating in a cyberenabled racketeering conspiracy throughout the United States and abroad that netted them more than 263 million Several were arrested this week in California while two remain abroad and are believed to be living in DubaippThe superseding indictment and the arrests were announced by US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division and Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem A Carter of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington DC Field OfficeppThe defendants listed below face charges that include RICO conspiracy conspiracy to commit wire fraud money laundering and obstruction of justice The superseding indictment adds charges originally brought against Malone Lam on Sept 19 2024ppAccording to the superseding indictment the enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through March 2025 It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platformsppMembers of the enterprise held different responsibilities The various roles included database hackers organizers target identifiers callers money launderers and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency walletsppDatabase hackers hacked websites and servers to obtain cryptocurrencyrelated databases or purchased databases on the darkweb Organizers and target identifiers organized and collated information across the databases to determine the most valuable targets Callers coldcalled victims and used social engineering to convince them their accounts were the subject of cyberattacks and the enterprise callers were attempting to help secure their accounts Money launderers received the stolen crypto currency and turned it into fiat US currency in the form of bulk cash or wire transfersppAccording to the indictment members and associates of the enterprise used the stolen virtual currency to purchase among other things nightclub services ranging up to 500000 per evening luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars that were given away at nightclub parties luxury watches valued between 100000 and 500000 luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars rental homes in Los Angeles the Hamptons and Miami private jet rentals a team of private security guards and a fleet of at least 28 exotic cars ranging in value from 100000 to 38 millionppAccording to the indictment members of the enterprise laundered stolen cryptocurrency proceeds by moving the funds through various mixers and exchanges using peel chains passthrough wallets and virtual private networks to mask their true identities ppThe indictment alleges that in one instance on Aug 18 2024 Malone Lam and contacted a victim in DC and through the communications with that victim fraudulently obtained over 4100 Bitcoin worth over 230 million at the time In another instance in July 2024 Malone Lam and others are accused of stealing over 14 million in cryptocurrency from an additional victimppThe indictment alleges that members of the enterprise also committed home breakins As alleged in the Indictment Marlon Ferro traveled to New Mexico in July 2024 and broke into a victims home to steal their hardware virtual currency wallet while Lam monitored the victims location by logging into his iCloud accountppThe superseding indictment also alleges that the enterprise engaged in significant money laundering activity Kunal Mehta Hamza Doost Joel Cortez and Evan Tangeman are alleged to have engaged in unlicensed cryptotocash services for the enterprise obtained luxury rental homes for members of the enterprise using fake identity documents booked private jet travel with stolen cryptocurrency for the enterprise concealed ownership of exotic cars by registering them in shell company names and shipped bulk cash through US mail to members of the enterprise hidden in squishmallow stuffed animalsppFollowing his arrest in September 2024 and continuing while in pretrial detention Lam is alleged to have continued working with members of the enterprise to pass and receive directions collect stolen cryptocurrency and to have enterprise members buy luxury Hermes Birkin bags and hand deliver them to his girlfriend in Miami FloridappThis ongoing investigation is being handled by the US Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia the FBIs Washington Field Office and the IRSCriminal Investigation Washington DC Field Office Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBIs Los Angeles and Miami field officesppThe matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg Acting Deputy Chief of the Fraud Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the US Attorneys Office for the District of ColumbiappIf found guilty the defendants sentences will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factorsppAn indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of lawpp ppDefendantsppMiami FloridappLos Angeles CalifppSingaporeppNApppp24cr417ppUSADCMediausdojgovppAlvin Alexis Cruz Garcia 27 of Washington DC was found guilty on June 6 2025 by a Superior Court jury for the beating death of Ramon Gomez Yanez at theppParren Hawkins 33 of the District of Columbia pleaded guilty today to carjacking and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a carjacking that occurred on February 2 2025ppFranco Rawlings Jr 24 of the District of Columbia was sentenced today to 16 years in prison for a series of armed robberies committed in the Trinidad neighborhood of NortheastppDistrict of Columbia
Main Office
601 D Street NW
Washington DCppEmail USAODCppTelephone 202 2527566
ppStay ConnectedppppHave a question about Government Servicesp
