Highlights:
- California Judge ordered Koo Ichioka to pay $36.4 million for participating in crypto and forex fraud.
- Ichioka misappropriated funds, promising 10% returns while using money for personal expenses.
- CFTC warns investors to verify registrations and report suspicious activities to prevent fraud.
Judge Vince Chhabria of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ordered Koo Ichioka William, a 30-year-old New York resident, to pay $36.4 million for his involvement in a fraudulent forex and digital asset scheme. This amount includes $31 million in restitution to the victims and $5.4 million in civil penalties, as stated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
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Federal Court Orders New York Man to Pay Over $36 Million for Forex and Digital Asset Fraud: https://t.co/oVyXQy3zkX
— CFTC (@CFTC) September 20, 2024
Ichioka’s Investment Fraud Leads to Charges and Sentence
The CFTC charged Ichioka in June 2023 for misappropriating funds misappropriating funds in a combined crypto, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), and a forex scheme. Alongside this, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California also filed complaints as part of a coordinated effort.
The fraud commenced in 2018 when Ichioka solicited investment funds by falsely promising participants a 10% return every 30 business days through his commodity pool. He presented himself as an individual who began his journey at a very young age and has already amassed a multimillion-dollar fortune.
Ichioka utilized a portion of the investors’ funds to invest in stocks of startup companies, digital asset commodities, and forex. However, he also “commingled participant money with his own funds.” He used that money to pay for rent, luxury vehicles, taxi rides, dining out, and gym memberships, among other things, as stated in the order.
In July 2023, Ichioka pleaded guilty to criminal charges brought by prosecutors, including wire fraud, aiding and abetting, and committing securities and commodities fraud, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison in January and required to pay a $5 million fine.
CFTC Issues Warnings on Investment Fraud
The CFTC continues to warn the public about crypto and forex fraud in investment markets. The agency encourages individuals to verify the registration of any person or company through the CFTC registry before investing. If an entity is not registered, investors are advised to proceed cautiously and refrain from investing their funds.
Moreover, the CFTC urges the public to report any suspicious activities or potential violations of commodity trading laws. Whistleblowers may receive rewards from the CFTC’s Customer Protection Fund, which is funded by monetary sanctions imposed on violators.
The CFTC recently resolved a digital asset derivatives case involving Uniswap, the largest decentralized exchange on the Ethereum network. On September 19, federal prosecutors charged two individuals in connection with a $243 million theft. They were part of a trio that defrauded a Genesis creditor of over 4,000 Bitcoin.
Recently, the Indian Supreme Court’s official YouTube channel was hacked, highlighting the increasing risks of fraud. The hackers removed previous content and used the channel to promote a fraudulent investment scheme involving Ripple and XRP. This scheme included a deepfake video of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse. YouTube has since removed the channel for violating its guidelines, and efforts are in progress to restore it. Ripple has previously cautioned about the rising use of scams and deepfakes in the crypto sector, urging investors to stay vigilant.
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