DOJ Charges ICO Co-Founder With Securities Fraud

The Department of Justice has unveiled fraud charges against a co-founder of cryptocurrency startup Centra.

AccessTimeIconApr 20, 2018 at 5:53 p.m. UTC
Updated Aug 18, 2021 at 8:52 p.m. UTC

Presented By Icon

Election 2024 coverage presented by

Stand with crypto

The Department of Justice has unveiled fraud charges against another co-founder of cryptocurrency startup Centra, a move that comes weeks after two other founders were arrested and charged.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said Friday that Ray Trapani has been arrested and charged in connection with the company's token sale, which was notably endorsed by heavyweight champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

  • Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
    13:18
    Bitcoin Mining in the U.S. Will Become 'a Lot More Decentralized': Core Scientific CEO
  • Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
    05:10
    Binance to Discontinue Its Nigerian Naira Services After Government Scrutiny
  • The first video of the year 2024
    04:07
    The first video of the year 2024
  • The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
    40:07
    The last regression video of the year 3.67.0
  • Specifically, Trapani has been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of securities fraud and one count of wire fraud.

    Fellow Centra founders Sohrab Sharma and Robert Farkas were sanctioned at the beginning of the month by the U.S. government, with actions by both the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as the DOJ. Their startup first made headlines in September when the boxing champ endorsed their ICO – tied to a cryptocurrency-backed credit card – on social media. Subsequent reports cast doubt on the claims made by Centra, particularly the contention that the firm had working relationships with Visa and Mastercard.

    “As alleged, Raymond Trapani conspired with his co-defendants to lure investors with false claims about their product and about relationships they had with credible financial institutions. While investing in virtual currencies is legal, lying to deceive investors is not," Deputy U.S. Attorney Robert Khuzami said in a statement.

    Separately, the SEC filed charges against Trapani, according to the Justice Department.

    Justice statue image via Shutterstock 

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information have been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk has adopted a set of principles aimed at ensuring the integrity, editorial independence and freedom from bias of its publications. CoinDesk is part of the Bullish group, which owns and invests in digital asset businesses and digital assets. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive Bullish group equity-based compensation. Bullish was incubated by technology investor Block.one.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.