New York Man Fined $36M for a Crypto Scam Promising High Returns

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A New York resident, William Koo Ichioka, has been hit with a staggering $36 million fine after a federal court found him guilty of a crypto scam. The court ruled that Ichioka promised his victims significant returns but instead used their money to fund his own lavish lifestyle. The decision was announced on September 20 in a statement from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

U.S. District Court Judge Vince Chhabria ordered Ichioka to pay $31 million in restitution to the victims of his fraudulent scheme. Additionally, Ichioka has been slapped with a $5 million civil monetary penalty, bringing the total to $36 million.

A Promise of High Returns Turns Sour

The fraudulent operation began in 2018 when Ichioka solicited funds from investors, promising them returns as high as 10% every 30 business days. According to the CFTC, while Ichioka did invest some of the funds into foreign exchange (forex) and cryptocurrency markets as he had promised, he also mixed the investors’ money with his own.

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This commingling of funds allowed him to spend a significant portion on personal luxuries, including expensive jewelry, watches, and high-end vehicles, as well as covering rent for his residence.

This recent ruling follows a consent order that was entered in August 2023, which permanently banned Ichioka from trading in any CFTC-regulated markets or registering with the commission. Despite these sanctions, the damage caused by his crypto scam remains, with victims left to recover millions of dollars in losses.

A Broader Crackdown on Crypto Scam Schemes

Ichioka’s case is just one of many involving false promises of high returns in the crypto space that have come under regulatory scrutiny. Earlier this year, in May, the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged crypto influencer Thomas John Sfraga with wire fraud after he falsely guaranteed investors returns as high as 60% within three months.

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Similarly, in February, Brian Sewell, a cryptocurrency trading instructor, was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for misleading his students into investing $1.2 million in a hedge fund that promised unrealistic profits.

The rise in crypto fraud cases highlights a growing concern among regulators. To combat these schemes, the CFTC has intensified its efforts to educate the public about common crypto scams in the digital asset space. These initiatives focus on raising awareness about fraudulent activities like “pig butchering,” a crypto scam that has recently seen an increase in victims.