Federal Court Slaps $54 Million Fine on Alleged Ohio Crypto Scammer

In the wake of an alleged cryptocurrency trading scam, an Ohio man has been ordered by a federal court to pay up $54 million in both restitution and penalties. As per the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) recent announcement, Michale Ackerman, the state’s resident, must reimburse $27 million in damages and an equivalent amount in penalties for his alleged fraudulent conduct in cryptocurrency trading.

The CFTC first brought up Ackerman’s suspicious activities in 2020 when it lodged a formal complaint against him. As stated in the complaint, Ackerman orchestrated a fraudulent crypto trading plot from August 2017 through December 2019, where he misappropriated enormous sums of investor money.

Over the course of his illicit operation, Ackerman drew more than 150 individual and entity depositors, accumulating around $33 million. However, a meager $10 million of this total was allegedly invested in trading digital assets. The remaining $23 million, it seems, was redirected to Ackerman’s personal endeavors or utilized to extend his fraudulent activities.

To cloak his operation, Ackerman reportedly devised counterfeit account statements and false trading return newsletters, suggesting a monthly return of nearly 15% for his investors. The manipulation extended to fictitious screenshots of monetary orders, fostering an illusion of successful cryptocurrency trading.

Adding to the financial penalties, the court order further prohibits Ackerman from participating in any CFTC-regulated markets or even registering with the CFTC. In an associated criminal case, Ackerman was handed a five-year probation sentence, including a one-year home confinement term, and ordered to pay $31 million in restitution.