Three Individuals Charged for Roles in $1.89B Cryptocurrency Fraud Scheme.
The Justice Department today announced charges against two individuals and the guilty plea of a third individual for orchestrating a $1.89 billion cryptocurrency fraud scheme.
Sam Lee, 35, an Australian citizen residing in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, was charged in an indictment unsealed today for allegedly co-founding HyperFund, also known as HyperTech, HyperCapital, HyperVerse, and HyperNation.
Rodney Burton, 54, of Miami, and Brenda Chunga, 43, of Severna Park, Maryland, were promotors of HyperFund.
“The defendants are charged with defrauding investors to the tune of $1.89 billion. As alleged in court documents, the defendants falsely represented that investors would receive substantial returns paid from cryptocurrency mining operations, which did not in fact exist,”
said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
“With our partners in Homeland Security Investigations and IRS Criminal Investigation, we are committed to uncovering sophisticated frauds involving cryptocurrency and digital assets and bringing those who perpetrate them to justice.”
“The level of alleged fraud here is staggering,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland.
“Whether it’s cryptocurrency fraud, or any other financial frauds, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. This office