The US Department of Justice is reportedly planning to drop charges against Matthew Goettsche, founder of the BitClub Network, accused of defrauding investors of $722 million. This potential reversal follows a directive to end "regulation by prosecution" against the digital asset industry.
A congressional investigation report alleges the Trump administration orchestrated a "hostile takeover" of the US's 250th anniversary celebration, using a shadow corporation, Freedom 250, to enrich allies, harvest voter data, and promote Christian nationalist ideology, potentially involving wire fraud and pay-to-play schemes.
Exiled Chinese tycoon Guo Wengui has been sentenced to 30 years in prison by a US federal court for defrauding over 1,000 people out of more than $1 billion. Guo, also known as Ho Wan Kwok and Miles Guo, was found guilty of securities offenses, wire fraud, and money laundering. Judge Analisa Torres ordered a forfeiture of $889 million, citing Guo's exploitation of a philanthropic purpose and intimidation of critics.
US prosecutors have asked a judge to dismiss criminal fraud and conspiracy charges against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who was accused of bribing officials for a major solar project. Adani's legal team consented to the dismissal, which still requires judicial approval.
Labour has called on former Conservative MP Robert Jenrick to donate £37,500 to charity after allegations that campaign funds he received in 2024 came from a US-based businessman now convicted of wire fraud. The Electoral Commission investigated claims that £37,500 of £100,000 donated by UK company Spott Fitness ultimately came from Gary Klopfenstein, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud in the US. The commission has referred evidence to the Metropolitan Police. Jenrick denies any knowledge of the source and says he complied with all electoral laws.
Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty in Brooklyn federal court to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, becoming the first of more than 30 defendants to do so. The 49-year-old admitted to using insider information about player injuries to defraud sports betting companies from December 2022 to March 2024. He also faces separate charges related to rigged poker games. Jones is scheduled for sentencing on January 6, 2027, with guidelines calling for up to 27 months in prison and a $35,000 forfeiture.
Prosecutors expect to file superseding charges of sports bribery and honest services wire fraud against Terry Rozier, an assistant U.S. attorney said.
Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, an Army Special Forces soldier, has been charged with wire fraud for allegedly using classified information about a planned U.S. military raid in Caracas to place profitable bets on Polymarket. He allegedly wagered about $33,000 in more than a dozen bets on whether U.S. forces would be in Venezuela by Jan. 31 and whether Maduro would be out of office, winning nearly $410,000. Van Dyke was released on a $250,000 bond and ordered to appear in U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday.
Carmine G. Agnello, grandson of former Gambino crime family boss John Gotti, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding the Small Business Administration of roughly $1.1 million through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program. Between April 2020 and November 2021, Agnello submitted false information about employee headcount for his Jamaica, Queens-based business Crown Auto Parts & Recycling, diverting approximately $420,000 into a crypto business. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud in September 2024 and was ordered to pay $1,268,302 in restitution.
