pleads – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com Latest Crypto News Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:22:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.7 https://i0.wp.com/earlybirdsinvest.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/cropped-New-Project-2024-12-17T235703.455.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 pleads – Earlybirds Invest https://earlybirdsinvest.com 32 32 240146708 State of Crypto: Do Kwon Pleads Guilty https://earlybirdsinvest.com/state-of-crypto-do-kwon-pleads-guilty/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/state-of-crypto-do-kwon-pleads-guilty/#respond Sun, 17 Aug 2025 17:22:42 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/state-of-crypto-do-kwon-pleads-guilty/

Terra/Luna creator Do Kwon pleaded guilty to one charge of conspiring to commit fraud and one charge of wire fraud on Tuesday, following an earlier not guilty plea and a very lengthy extradition process.

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The narrative

Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, who created the TerraUSD stablecoin and its counterpart Luna (LUNA) token, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities, commodities or wire fraud and wire fraud

Why it matters

Terra and its related ecosystem blew up in spectacular fashion in 2022, with Luna falling from an all-time high price of nearly $120 to less than 10 cents over the course of five weeks. UST broke its peg, and the event was the first domino in the various other crypto company bankruptcies over the course of 2022.

Breaking it down

In 2021, Do Kwon repeatedly assured investors that Terra and Luna were safe investments, through tweets and appearances on programs like CoinDesk TV.

On Tuesday, he apologized as part of his guilty plea.

“Between 2018 and 2022 in the Southern District of New York and elsewhere, I knowingly agreed with others to engage in a scheme to defraud, and did in fact defraud, purchasers of the cryptocurrencies issued by my company, Terraform Labs,” he said, going on to say he made “false and misleading statements” about why UST regained its peg.

As part of his plea deal, the Department of Justice agreed to recommend a prison sentence of no more than 12 years, and Kwon can apply for an international prison transfer once he’s served 50% of his sentence. One of Kwon’s attorneys noted that there are still outstanding charges against him in South Korea, the country Kwon tried to get himself extradited to during his extended stay in Montenegro.

Kwon’s statement spoke to that: “The purchasers who I defrauded were in the Republic of Korea, the Southern District of New York and elsewhere,” he said.

Read more.

Tuesday

  • 14:30 UTC (10:30 a.m. ET) Do Kwon pled guilty to two charges tied to the operation and eventual collapse of the Terra/Luna stablecoin ecosystem.
  • (D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals) Two judges on a three-judge appeals court panel ruled that a district court did not have appropriate jurisdiction in blocking the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, writing in part that, “The plaintiffs point to no regulation, order, document, email, or other statement, written or oral, purporting to shut down the CFPB” and that “the government does not claim the power to ‘shut down’ the CFPB.” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a tweet afterward that the circuit court had “sided with my [Department of Justice] attorneys in our effort to dismantle the CFPB.” The circuit court panel did open the door for a potential en banc hearing with the full D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
  • (The Washington Post) The White House removed IRS Commissioner Billy Long after he clashed with the White House over sharing confidential taxpayer information, the Post reported. CNN also reported that the IRS did start “sharing sensitive taxpayer data [last] week with immigration authorities.”
  • (The Associated Press) States are starting to take action against the possibility that Big Tech firms’ datacenters are driving up residents’ electricity prices.
  • (Bloomberg) Bloomberg published an analysis of Tron creator Justin Sun on its Billionaires Index, saying he owns over 60 billion TRX (~$4.9 billion) — “the majority of its supply” — as well as $3.55 billion in other crypto holdings and $3.73 billion in HTX holdings. Sun filed for a temporary restraining order to block publication (although the page was already published), with exhibits confirming that his team shared wallet addresses and other information with Bloomberg to help the news organization verify his holdings.
  • (Politico) The fallout from the hack of the federal court database system PACER continues.
  • (Reuters) Reuters has a detailed report out about Meta’s artificial intelligence policies, from large language model chatbots inviting people to real addresses to enabling these technical models to engage with minors using language that seems to be more suitable for people who aren’t minors. Some of these provisions were changed after Reuters asked about them, the news organization reported.
  • (New York Magazine) This is a lengthy and bonkers deep dive into two individuals accused of kidnapping an Italian crypto investor in New York. It is well worth your time to read.

If you’ve got thoughts or questions on what I should discuss next week or any other feedback you’d like to share, feel free to email me at nik@coindesk.com or find me on Bluesky @nikhileshde.bsky.social.

You can also join the group conversation on Telegram.

See ya’ll next week!

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Former Pump.Fun developer pleads guilty to the $2 million Solana Heist https://earlybirdsinvest.com/former-pump-fun-developer-pleads-guilty-to-the-2-million-solana-heist/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/former-pump-fun-developer-pleads-guilty-to-the-2-million-solana-heist/#respond Sat, 16 Aug 2025 04:44:23 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/former-pump-fun-developer-pleads-guilty-to-the-2-million-solana-heist/

Jarett Dunn, former developer of Solana-based MemeCoin Platform Pump. funpleaded guilty to fraud by abuse of crime and transfer of criminal property. He admitted to stealing nearly $2 million in SOL from the project shortly after joining the team. Dan is now It’s being held in a London prison after violating bail terms.

He was detained for bail violations

Dan originally pleaded guilty in 2023, but he later tried to withdraw the plea in court. That effort I didn’t do it work. His legal team stepped in and the case stopped for several months. Things got worse when Dan was still under bail restrictions while he was moving to Liverpool. Authorities pursued him, arrested him again and moved him to HMP Pentonville.

If you turn the corner and pass a sentence, the penalty may be severe.

Dan I’m expecting In Get a verdict Within two weeks. The fees he faces are Serious If classified as a first-class attack, it is enough to land him behind the bar for over seven years. Wideer impact on pumps. fun It was important. The team estimates they lost as much as $12.8 million in damages, not just stolen funds, but also downtime transactions, reputational damage and reduced platform activity.

Discover: Best New Cryptocurrencies to Invest in 2025

Mental health adds complexity to your case

Court documents show that Dan has a long history of mental health challenges, including diagnosing schizoaffective bipolar disorder, panic disorder and ADHD. He also struggled with the use of substances and was taking medication at the time of theft. When police first arrested him, he was reportedly not worthy of the question. He later spent two weeks under hospital care, but that It will be considered Judgment underway.

24 hours7d30D1Yeverytime

Inside Job Exposed LaunchPad Risk

Dan was at the pump. fun Only 6 weeks will he use his developer access Quietly extract the sol from the binding curve contract. After moving the funds, he had scattered them across multiple wallets, making recovery almost impossible. His actions suggested that he might have considered it some. It’s a vigilante stunt, but I didn’t do it Protect him from criminal charges. This violation highlighted the risks crypto startups face when internal controls are loose or in a hurry.

Discovered: 20+ Next Cryptocurrency Exploding in 2025

Despite the scandal, the pump. fun it’s not It slowed down

Surprisingly, the platform has only grown since the incident. Pump.fun bounced and unfolded with the launch of a $600 million token My own It exceeded $770 million in pump tokens and record-high revenue. There are currently major spots Solana The growing Memocoin ecosystem. The scandal may have derailed the project, but it appears to have accelerated its growth in several ways.

Dan’s Cases are reminders of how quickly things can helix in cryptography. One of the past, with access and trouble, has been able to shake up the multi-million-dollar platform. Now the court will decide whether mental health, regret and cooperation will be heavy enough to affect his sentence, or whether it will use this as a cautionary substance about what goes wrong when the industry is misguided.

Discover: 20+ Next Cryptocurrency to Explode in 2025

For the latest market updates, please join us in the discrepancy in 99bitcoins news here

Key takeout

  • Former Pump.Fun developer Jarett Dunn pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $2 million in SOL and is currently awaiting his sentence in London.

  • Due to a failed attempt to retract Dan’s bail violation and his plea, he lands at HMP Pentonville, where he is in custody.

  • The claim could result in a sentence of more than seven years, and Pump.Fun estimates the total loss from the incident at $12.8 million.

  • Mental health issues and past substance use could affect the verdict as it was reportedly inappropriate for police questions at the time.

  • Despite the scandal, Pump.Fun grew rapidly, surpassing $770 million in revenue and launching its own pump token.

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Terraform’s Do Kwon Pleads Guilty to Its Collapse https://earlybirdsinvest.com/terraforms-do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-its-collapse/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/terraforms-do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-its-collapse/#respond Wed, 13 Aug 2025 18:34:29 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/terraforms-do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-its-collapse/

One of the most prolonged cases in the crypto world surrounding the infamous Terra has finally seen its former head accept responsibility for his crimes.

Court documents reveal the magnitude of the offences, and hopefully, this can bring some peace to the affected.

Owning Up to the Wrongdoings

The U.S attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced yesterday that Do Hyeong Kwon (Do Kwon) pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit commodities, securities, and wire fraud, and one count of committing wire fraud connected to deceitful schemes at Terraform.

The platform was touted by the charged CEO as a self-contained, decentralized financial ecosystem, leveraging pioneering blockchain technology and offering a variety of financial products, including its own cryptocurrency, payment system, stock market, and savings bank.

The harsh reality was that investors and users of Terraform were unaware that none of the instruments offered functioned as intended and were manipulated to believe that everything was working optimally. Do Kwon admitted guilt before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer.

“Do Kwon used the technological promise and investment euphoria around cryptocurrency to commit one of the largest frauds in history,” said Clayton.

“Kwon attracted tens of billions in funds to Terraform’s ecosystem by promising a self-stabilizing stablecoin. By the time the markets discovered that the ecosystem was unstable, it was too late: the system collapsed, and investors around the world suffered billions of dollars in losses.”

The allegations stated in the Superseding Indictment, along with further court proceedings and public filings, note that the company was founded in 2018. It distinguished its blockchain from others by issuing algorithmic stablecoins under the “Terra Protocol.”

According to reports, these stablecoins maintained their value regardless of changes in underlying market conditions. Around September 2020, the dollar-pegged TerraUSD (“UST”) was launched, and promotional materials claimed that under the protocol, one UST can always be exchanged for $1 worth of the blockchain’s native token, LUNA, and vice versa.

The Numerous False Pretenses

Over the years, the company, alongside its various entities, developed and advertised several financial products as decentralized finance applications, aimed at increasing the number of users and transactions on the Terra blockchain. Some of them include:

  • Chai, a Korean payments platform that was supposedly using the Terra blockchain to process transactions around June 2019, was untrue, as traditional methods and networks were used for processing.
  • Mirror Protocol, which went live in December 2020, enabled users to create, buy, and sell synthetic versions of assets, such as stocks listed on US exchanges, using the now obsolete blockchain. In reality, Terraform had control over the protocol and utilized trading bots to manipulate the prices of the assets that it issued.
  • The Luna Foundation Guard Ltd (“LFG”) was a public entity launched around January 2022 that purportedly maintained a reserve worth billions of dollars in cryptocurrency, known as the “LFG Reserve,” to maintain UST’s dollar peg. This was claimed to be regulated by an independent governing body, when in fact, Terraform reigned over it.

Do Kwon received funding from several investment firms in the United States and elsewhere, with the primary agreement being to either purchase or loan the cryptocurrencies created on the Terra blockchain. At the peak of the corporation’s growth, the co-founder who was charged became one of the most affluent leaders in the industry.

Terraform’s pinnacle was around the start of 2022, when the market cap of UST and LUNA went over $50 billion, with the majority of this expansion attributed to misrepresentations about the company and its products. By May 2022, the dollar peg of the UST had already begun to break down, a trend that had started the previous year.

They managed to cover this up in 2021, but failed to do so the following year, which led to their collapse and the loss of over $40 billion. A short time later, arrest warrants and an Interpol Red Notice were issued against the former CEO.

Around the end of March 2023, Do Kwon was captured in Europe while using a fake passport. Authorities from the US submitted a request for his extradition shortly after that, and there was considerable back and forth regarding where he would be charged and tried. He was deported to the United States at the end of last year.

Earlier in June, he pleaded not guilty, but eventually succumbed to the numerous charges against him. As part of his plea, he will have to forfeit $19 million in proceeds from the fraudulent schemes and will be sentenced by Judge Engelmayer on December 11, 2025.

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Do Kwon Pleads Guilty to Fraud, Faces Up to 12 Years in Prison https://earlybirdsinvest.com/do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-faces-up-to-12-years-in-prison/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-faces-up-to-12-years-in-prison/#respond Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:41:12 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/do-kwon-pleads-guilty-to-fraud-faces-up-to-12-years-in-prison/

Do Kwon, co-founder of Terraform Labs, has admitted to committing two crimes in the United States.

In a court appearance on August 12 in New York, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud.

According to a report from Inner City Press, Kwon told the judge that between 2018 and 2022, he took part in a plan to mislead people who bought cryptocurrencies from Terraform Labs.

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He admitted making false claims about how a stablecoin’s price peg was restored and about the involvement of another company. He also confirmed that he worked with others to carry out this plan and knew it was against the law.

As part of his deal with prosecutors, Kwon will pay $19 million in financial penalties. While the two charges could lead to a maximum prison term of 25 years if sentences run one after the other, prosecutors agreed not to ask for more than 12 years.

His sentencing is scheduled for December 11. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer made it clear that the final decision on the sentence is his alone.

On August 5, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reached a settlement with Huynh Tran Quang Duy, the founder of the now-closed lending platform MyConstant. What did the agency say? Read the full story.


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Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to Laundering $2.5M in Crypto from US Victims https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nigerian-man-pleads-guilty-to-laundering-2-5m-in-crypto-from-us-victims/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nigerian-man-pleads-guilty-to-laundering-2-5m-in-crypto-from-us-victims/#respond Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:37:39 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/nigerian-man-pleads-guilty-to-laundering-2-5m-in-crypto-from-us-victims/

Author

Hongji Feng

Author

Hongji Feng

About Author

Hongji is a crypto and tech reporter. He graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s. He has previously interned at HTX (Huobi Global),…

Last updated: 


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Key Takeaways:

  • Charles Uchenna Nwadavid pleaded guilty in Boston to mail fraud and money laundering.
  • He laundered funds from six U.S. victims using cryptocurrency between 2016 and 2019.
  • Transactions were processed through LocalBitcoins, accessed remotely by Nwadavid overseas.

A Nigerian national pleaded guilty in Boston federal court on June 25 to charges related to laundering funds obtained through online romance fraud, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, 35, admitted to mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Prosecutors said he controlled cryptocurrency accounts used to move victim funds and accessed them remotely from overseas. His sentencing is scheduled for September 23.

Romance Scam Money Laundering Network Tied to Crypto

According to court documents, the scheme ran from 2016 to 2019 and involved six U.S. victims. The individuals were recruited through social media and dating platforms and persuaded to send money under false pretenses, such as medical emergencies or legal fees.

Authorities said one Massachusetts victim unknowingly received funds from five others and then transferred the money to Nwadavid via cryptocurrency.

The transactions were processed through LocalBitcoins, an online peer-to-peer platform. Nwadavid allegedly directed the transfers while abroad using online access credentials.

He was indicted in January 2024 and arrested in April 2025 upon arrival at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport from the United Kingdom.

Security Company Accused of Moving $123M via Crypto

Australian authorities recently charged four people in connection with an alleged A$190 million (~US$123 million) laundering scheme involving cryptocurrency and a Gold Coast security firm. The group moved illicit funds through courier services and converted them into crypto, blending them with legitimate business revenue.

The network used dead drops in multiple cities and air transport to move cash into Queensland. Some of the funds were funneled through a car dealership and a sales promotion company.

Authorities seized around A$21 million (~US$13 million) in assets, including 17 properties and several vehicles, and carried out 14 search warrants in Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Law enforcement agencies are expanding cross-border coordination and blockchain surveillance to track crypto-linked fraud. Peer-to-peer platforms and foreign exchanges often limit recovery, especially when victims are used to move funds unknowingly.

Authorities warn that enforcement tools are still catching up. While blockchain data offers visibility, gaps in regulation and technical capacity continue to hinder timely intervention.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How was the scam structured across multiple victims?

Victims were recruited separately, but one was used to channel funds from others. This layering technique helped obscure the source and destination of the money.

What sentencing could Nwadavid face?

He faces up to 20 years for each count, as well as fines, restitution, and deportation following any sentence.

Are romance scams increasingly linked to crypto?

Yes. Law enforcement has observed a growing trend of using cryptocurrency to launder proceeds from relationship-based fraud.


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Teen Pleads Guilty to $245 Million Bitcoin Theft, Feds Fear Escape Plan https://earlybirdsinvest.com/teen-pleads-guilty-to-245-million-bitcoin-theft-feds-fear-escape-plan/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/teen-pleads-guilty-to-245-million-bitcoin-theft-feds-fear-escape-plan/#respond Mon, 23 Jun 2025 21:51:43 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/teen-pleads-guilty-to-245-million-bitcoin-theft-feds-fear-escape-plan/

On June 22, US federal prosecutors are urging the court to keep Veer Chatel, a 19-year-old, in custody after he admitted to stealing $245 million worth of Bitcoin
BTC


$103,262.51

.

They said the teenager might try to escape the country before sentencing, and that people he worked with could help him do it.

Recent unsealed documents revealed that Chatel pleaded guilty in Washington, DC, to participating in a 2024 scheme involving wire fraud and money laundering. The case centers on a large-scale Bitcoin theft carried out through fake tech support calls.

10 Biggest Crypto Scams & How to Avoid Them (ANIMATED)

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According to ZachXBT’s post on X, Chatel would call victims pretending to be from a company’s help desk. He would guide them through a process that gave his team access to their accounts.

Once inside, the attackers would trick victims into revealing their crypto wallet details. They then transferred the funds from Gemini



$328.55M

exchange accounts into wallets they controlled.

Authorities stated that Chatel used professional money launderers to hide the stolen funds. Along with his co-conspirators, Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano, he spent the money on watches, designer clothing, and several cars.

When the FBI searched his home, they found about $37 million in crypto connected to the heist. Officials also believe he defrauded around 50 more people, which generated another $3 million for himself.

As part of his plea deal, Chatel agreed to give up luxury goods purchased with the stolen money. He is expected to face between 19.5 and 24.5 years in prison, along with a fine that could range from $50,000 to $500,000.

Meanwhile, Global Ledger and Recoveris, in collaboration with Reuters, recently found that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has been using Bitcoin to pay a Canadian teenager. What was the FSB’s motive? Read the full story.

Having completed a Master’s degree in Economics, Politics, and Cultures of the East Asia region, Aaron has written scientific papers analyzing the differences between Western and Collective forms of capitalism in the post-World War II era.
With close to a decade of experience in the FinTech industry, Aaron understands all of the biggest issues and struggles that crypto enthusiasts face. He’s a passionate analyst who is concerned with data-driven and fact-based content, as well as that which speaks to both Web3 natives and industry newcomers.
Aaron is the go-to person for everything and anything related to digital currencies. With a huge passion for blockchain & Web3 education, Aaron strives to transform the space as we know it, and make it more approachable to complete beginners.
Aaron has been quoted by multiple established outlets, and is a published author himself. Even during his free time, he enjoys researching the market trends, and looking for the next supernova.

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Mastermind of $243,000,000 Bitcoin (BTC) Hack Cooperates With Feds, Pleads Guilty to Charges: Report https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mastermind-of-243000000-bitcoin-btc-hack-cooperates-with-feds-pleads-guilty-to-charges-report/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mastermind-of-243000000-bitcoin-btc-hack-cooperates-with-feds-pleads-guilty-to-charges-report/#respond Sun, 22 Jun 2025 16:04:54 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/mastermind-of-243000000-bitcoin-btc-hack-cooperates-with-feds-pleads-guilty-to-charges-report/

A Connecticut man involved with a massive theft of Bitcoin (BTC) from a Washington, D.C. victim reportedly pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges.

ABC News reports that Veer Chetal, who is among the three men charged with siphoning 4,100 BTC worth $243 million in an elaborate scam last August, also agreed to testify against his co-defendants, Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano.

Authorities say that the trio engaged in online social engineering attacks targeting cryptocurrency holders. Lam would send fake alerts to victims about unauthorized attempts to access their crypto accounts. Chetal and Serrano would then call and pose as representatives from companies like Google and Yahoo in an effort to access victims’ accounts.

Prosecutors say that Chetal, Lam and Serrano lived large after the heist, spending millions on cars, jewelry, rental mansions and nightclub parties.

But a week after the theft, Chetal’s parents were abducted in a botched ransom scheme. The suspects planned to demand payment from Chetal, believing he held large amounts of cryptocurrency.

But the abductors were arrested quickly after the police responded to eyewitness calls. An off-duty FBI agent also happened to be passing by just as the kidnapping unfolded.

Unsealed court documents also show that Chetal is being accused of playing a role in 50 similar heists that siphoned $3 million from victims between November 2023 and September 2024.

Chetal now faces up to 24 years in prison, a fine ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 and restitution to the victim.

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Iranian International Behind Robbinhood Ransomware Scheme Pleads Guilty – U.S. Department of Justice https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iranian-international-behind-robbinhood-ransomware-scheme-pleads-guilty-u-s-department-of-justice/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iranian-international-behind-robbinhood-ransomware-scheme-pleads-guilty-u-s-department-of-justice/#respond Thu, 29 May 2025 23:55:29 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/iranian-international-behind-robbinhood-ransomware-scheme-pleads-guilty-u-s-department-of-justice/

An Iranian man is pleading guilty to being the mastermind behind the Robbinhood ransomware scam.

According to a recent press release by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), 37-year-old Sina Gholinejad of Iran has pleaded guilty to participating in a hack of multiple cities across the US, causing widespread disruption and tens of millions of dollars in losses.

Authorities say that in January 2019, Gholinejad and his co-conspirators gained and maintained illegal access to the victims’ computers, stealing sensitive data and uploading the Robbinhood malware, which in turn would take over a victim’s PC, encrypt its files, and attempt to extort crypto assets out of them in exchange for the release of the data.

Gholinejad and his team would then attempt to launder the stolen funds through crypto mixing services and chain-hopping and hide their identities using advanced methods.

As stated by Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, in the press release,

“The ransomware attack against the City of Baltimore forced the city to take hundreds of computers offline and prevented the city from performing basic functions for months.

Gholinejad’s conviction reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to bringing cybercriminals who target our cities, healthcare system, and businesses to justice no matter where they are located. There will be no impunity for these destructive attacks.”

Other cities affected included Greenville, North Carolina, as well as Yonkers, New York, and Gresham, Oregon.

Gholinejad is scheduled to be sentenced in August and could face a maximum penalty of up to 30 years behind bars.

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Disclaimer: Opinions expressed at The Daily Hodl are not investment advice. Investors should do their due diligence before making any high-risk investments in Bitcoin, cryptocurrency or digital assets. Please be advised that your transfers and trades are at your own risk, and any losses you may incur are your responsibility. The Daily Hodl does not recommend the buying or selling of any cryptocurrencies or digital assets, nor is The Daily Hodl an investment advisor. Please note that The Daily Hodl participates in affiliate marketing.

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Hacker ‘NullBulge’ pleads guilty to stealing Disney’s Slack data https://earlybirdsinvest.com/hacker-nullbulge-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-disneys-slack-data/ https://earlybirdsinvest.com/hacker-nullbulge-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-disneys-slack-data/#respond Fri, 02 May 2025 02:23:16 +0000 https://earlybirdsinvest.com/hacker-nullbulge-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-disneys-slack-data/

Disney

A California man who used the alias “NullBulge” has pleaded guilty to illegally accessing Disney’s internal Slack channels and stealing over 1.1 terabytes of internal company data.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, a 25-year-old named Ryan Kramer created a malicious program in early 2024 that was promoted as an AI image generation tool on GitHub and other platforms.

However, the DOJ says this program was actually malware that allowed Kramer to access the computer of those who installed it to steal data and passwords from the device.

According to the Wall Street Journal, one of the people who downloaded the program was a Disney employee, Matthew Van Andel, who executed it on his computer. This gave Kramer access to his device, including the passwords stored in his 1Password password manager.

Using Van Andel’s stolen credentials, Kramer gained access to Disney’s Slack channels, where he downloaded 1.1TB of corporate data.

“By accessing M.V.’s Disney Slack account, defendant gained access to non-public Disney Slack channels, and in or around May 2024, defendant downloaded approximately 1.1 terabytes of confidential data from thousands of Disney Slack channels,” reads a plea agreement seen by BleepingComputer.

The Department of Justice says that Kramer then contacted Van Andel, posing as a Russian hacktivist group called “NullBulge,” warning that his personal information and Disney’s stolen Slack data would be published if he didn’t cooperate.

After receiving no response, NullBulge posted a message on the BreachForums hacking forum on July 12, 2024, titled “DISNEY INTERNAL SLACK,” where he claimed to have breached Disney and leaked the 1.1TB of stolen data, including Van Andel’s personal info.

“1.1TiB of data. almost 10,000 channels, every message and file possible, dumped. Unreleased projects, raw images and code, some logins, links to internal api/ web pages, and more! Have fun sifting through it, there is a lot there,” reads the forum post.

In July 2024, defendant contacted M.V. via email and the online messaging platform Discord, pretending to be a member of a fake Russia-based hacktivist group called “NullBulge.” The emails and Discord message contained threats to leak M.V.’s personal information and Disney’s Slack data. One message defendant sent to M.V. on July 8, 2024, threatened that in order to “ensure this information remains undisclosed, I need your cooperation,” and warned that if M.V. contacted anyone about the message, “we will drop our data publicly and loudly without so much as a warning.” Defendant also threatened that this would be a “major, major mistake” for M.V.’s “information and career at Disney.” Another email sent to M.V. on July 12, 2024, with the subject line “You sure that’s how you want to play?”, stated, in part, “Respond, do what we want, or end up on the net. Your choice. We will not contact you again.”  On July 12, 2024, after M.V. did not respond to defendant’s threats, defendant publicly released the stolen Disney Slack files, as well as M.V.’s bank, medical, and personal information on multiple
Kramer’s Disney post on the BreachForum hacking forum
Source: BleepingComputer

Kramer has pleaded guilty to one count of accessing a computer and obtaining information and one count of threatening to damage a protected computer. Each charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

He has also confirmed that two additional people downloaded his malware, allowing him to gain access to their computers. The FBI is currently investigating these additional people.

His initial court appearance in Los Angeles federal court is expected to be in the coming weeks.

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