Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Tyler Hatcher, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office (“IRS-CI”), announced today that James Zhong pleaded guilty to committing online fraud in September 2012, όταν απέκτησε παράνομα πάνω από 50.000 Bitcoin from his drug market silk road.
Zhong pleaded guilty on Friday, November 4 2022, before United States District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
On November 9, 2021, according to an authorized warrant researchAt Zhong's home in Gainesville, Georgia, law enforcement seized approximately 50.676,17851897 Bitcoins, worth more than $3,36 billion at the time. She was then the eldest seizure κρυπτονομισμάτων στην ιστορία του Υπουργείου Δικαιοσύνης των USA και σήμερα παραμένει η δεύτερη μεγαλύτερη οικονομική seizure του υπουργείου ever.
Η government sought to collectively seize approximately 51.680,32473733 Bitcoins. Zhong owned 80% of RE&D Investments, LLC, a Memphis-based company with significant real estate holdings, $661.900 in cash seized from his home, and various other items.
US Attorney Damian Williams said:
“James Zhong committed online fraud a decade ago when he stole approximately 50.000 Bitcoins from Silk Road. For nearly ten years, the whereabouts of these missing Bitcoins was a mystery worth more than $3,3 billion.”
“With state-of-the-art cryptocurrency tracking and the good old cop work, law enforcement located and recovered this impressive stash of criminal proceeds. This case shows that we will not stop following the money, no matter how well it is hidden on a board at the bottom of a popcorn box.”