DOJ Blames Court Error After Trump-Linked Crypto Scam Docket Briefly Sealed
A federal crypto fraud case linked to Donald Trump’s associates and MoonPay executives was briefly sealed due to a clerical error, according to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. The case involves a Nigerian scammer who impersonated Steve Witkoff, defrauding victims, including MoonPay executives, of $250,000. The scammer used a subtle typo in an email address to trick victims into transferring funds. The filing included partially redacted names matching those of MoonPay's CEO and CFO. Prosecutors aimed to protect the identity of a company involved by sealing only the original complaint. The FBI has traced and recovered $40,300 of the stolen funds with assistance from Tether. The temporary sealing raised concerns among former prosecutors about transparency and procedural errors. MoonPay and the DOJ have not commented on the situation.
