A Swedish man wanted by the United States for defrauding over 3,500 victims of more than $16 million has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for secu

Swedish crypto scammer sentenced to 15 years in prison

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2021-07-09 21:30:03

A Swedish man wanted by the United States for defrauding over 3,500 victims of more than $16 million has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

The DOJ says 47-year-old Roger Nils-Jonas Karlsson ran an investment fraud scheme from 2011 until his arrest in Thailand in June 2019. He pleaded guilty in March.

According to court documents, Karlsson encouraged victims to buy shares in a scheme called "Eastern Metal Securities" using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, promising "astronomical returns" tied to the price of gold.

The funds paid by these victims were instead directed to Karlsson's personal bank accounts, where the money was put toward expensive homes, a racehorse, and a resort in Thailand. Karlsson has been ordered to forfeit this Thai resort and various other properties and accounts as part of the sentence.

Karlsson maintained the ruse, in part, by offering updates and account statements to victims. He also explained delayed payouts by falsely claiming to be working with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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