US DOJ charges former CTO of blockchain company for fraud scheme

1 year ago

The US Department of Justice said it has arrested Rikesh Thapa, the erstwhile main exertion serviceman of a blockchain company, for allegedly defrauding his institution of implicit $1 million.

The DOJ did not sanction the institution successful its Dec. 7 quality release.

Thapa’s LinkedIn reveals that helium co-founded the blockchain institution Blockparty successful 2017 and served arsenic its CTO up until 2019.

According to the DOJ’s filing connected Dec. 7, Thapa allegedly defrauded his institution of currency and crypto assets worthy implicit $1 million.

Back successful 2018, the unnamed blockchain institution had a banking situation that caused it to nonstop astir $1 cardinal to Thapa’s idiosyncratic relationship for safekeeping. Unfortunately, the Founder and CTO mismanaged the funds connected idiosyncratic and luxurious expenses.

To conceal his crime, Thapa forged his slope connection to assertion that held astir $21 million. After overmuch ado, helium allegedly refused to instrumentality the $1 cardinal to the company.

In different instance, Thapa conspired to merchantability astir 174,285 of the blockchain company’s inferior tokens for an undisclosed amount. He failed to remit the funds to the company, claiming that the currency helium received from the investors were counterfeit.

Thapa was arrested connected Oct. 7, 2022, by the DOJ. Speaking connected the arrest, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:

“Rikesh Thapa allegedly betrayed his company’s trust, arsenic helium was liable for the safeguarding of important amounts of money. Thapa ent to large lengths to screen up his frauds.”

Following his arrest, Thapa volition look charges of ligament fraud and hazard imprisonment of up to 20 years successful situation if proven guilty.

The station US DOJ charges erstwhile CTO of blockchain institution for fraud scheme appeared archetypal connected CryptoSlate.

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