U.S. ATTORNEY HEAP ANNOUNCES FORFEITURE OF CRYPTOCURRENCY AND RETURN OF FRAUD PROCEEDS TO VICTIM

SAVANNAH, GA:  Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, today announced that, through a civil asset forfeiture action, the government has forfeited, liquidated, and returned approximately $84,327.50 to a victim of cryptocurrency theft.

“The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, worked diligently to locate, seize, and forfeit these funds, and thereafter, return money to the victim,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This case demonstrates my office’s commitment to helping victims of crime.  By using civil asset forfeiture, we can expeditiously recover as much stolen money as possible and return this money to victims.  Although it can be difficult to come forward and admit that you were a victim of a crime, we stand ready to help you to the fullest extent possible.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will work with the victims in these cases and with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section to properly return forfeited assets to eligible victims.  If you think you have been a victim of a cybercrime, file a detailed complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.”

As set forth in the civil complaint, in October 2024, a resident of Richmond Hill, Georgia, noticed several unauthorized transactions in a cryptocurrency address the resident owned and controlled.  As a result of the illegal transactions, approximately $124,000 was stolen from the Richmond Hill resident.  Upon discovering the theft, the victim reported the crime to local law enforcement and to the FBI.  The FBI thoroughly investigated the case, tracing the location of the majority of the stolen cryptocurrency, charting the pathway of the ill-gotten crime proceeds, and identifying the involvement of overseas actors, including in Cambodia. The FBI, working with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, quickly seized the traced cryptocurrency.  Earlier this year, the property was forfeited through a federal civil forfeiture case in Savannah.  Throughout the investigation and court proceedings, the FBI worked with the victim to advance the investigation and to return the net proceeds of the cryptocurrency after forfeiture and liquidation.

“The FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims of cybercrime, no matter where the trail leads,” said Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “In this case, our agents used advanced investigative techniques to trace stolen cryptocurrency across international borders and recover funds that otherwise might have been lost forever.  We’ll continue working alongside our partners to identify cybercriminals, seize their illegal gains, and restore assets to those they’ve harmed.”

The Internet Crime Complaint Center is run by the FBI and serves as the country’s hub for reporting cybercrime.  Visit www.ic3.gov to report a crime, and for updated information and other cyber fraud schemes.

This case was investigated by the FBI.  The United States was represented by Senior Litigation Counsel J. Bishop Ravenel.

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