Man sentenced to 12 years for $16M Coinbase customer support scam
Summary
A Brooklyn man, Ronald Spektor, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to stealing nearly $16 million from about 100 Coinbase users. He impersonated Coinbase support, convinced victims their accounts were under threat, and directed them to transfer crypto into wallets he controlled. Prosecutors traced the funds through swaps, exchanges and mixing services using blockchain analysis and other evidence. The judge also ordered more than $500,000 in forfeiture and nearly $16 million in restitution, though the amount recovered for victims remains unclear. Prosecutors had sought a longer sentence, but the judge upheld the plea agreement.
