Michael Joseph McElhiney 因策劃加密貨幣騙局被判入獄 41 個月

該案件凸顯了數位時代詐欺計畫的危險。

Michael Joseph McElhiney, a 38-year-old originally from Spokane, Washington, has been sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scam that defrauded investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

來自華盛頓州斯波坎的 38 歲邁克爾·約瑟夫·麥克爾希尼 (Michael Joseph McElhiney) 因策劃加密貨幣騙局，詐騙投資者數十萬美元，被判處 41 個月的聯邦監獄監禁。

According to court documents, McElhiney operated a fraudulent company called MAC Blockchain Solutions from March 2021 until September 2022. He approached potential investors through various means, including Uber rides, dating apps, and even during online gaming sessions under the alias "Bing Bong."

根據法庭文件，McElhiney 從2021 年3 月到2022 年9 月經營一家名為MAC Blockchain Solutions 的詐欺公司。 Bong」的線上遊戲過程中接觸潛在投資者。

McElhiney gained his victims' trust by posing as a successful cryptocurrency investor and promising high returns on their investments. He specifically targeted investors interested in emerging cryptocurrencies and blockchain projects, such as Ethereum staking.

McElhiney 透過冒充成功的加密貨幣投資者並承諾高投資回報來贏得受害者的信任。他專門針對對新興加密貨幣和區塊鏈項目感興趣的投資者，例如以太坊質押。

To make his scam more believable, McElhiney used a fake identity and forged credentials. He also created a website for MAC Blockchain Solutions and used the site Coin.FYI to fabricate positive investment updates.

為了讓他的騙局更加可信，麥克爾海尼使用了假身份並偽造了憑證。他還為 MAC Blockchain Solutions 創建了一個網站，並使用 Coin.FYI 網站發布了積極的投資動態。

Despite promising flexible withdrawal options, McElhiney never actually invested the funds he collected from his victims. Instead, he used the money for personal indulgences, such as gambling.

儘管麥克爾海尼承諾提供靈活的提款選擇，但他從未真正將他從受害者那裡收集到的資金用於投資。相反，他將這些錢用於個人嗜好，例如賭博。

In total, McElhiney defrauded his victims of over $350,000, even accepting rare art and precious metals as payment. When investors demanded their funds, he concocted elaborate excuses to delay repayments.

McElhiney 總共詐騙了受害者超過 35 萬美元，甚至接受稀有藝術品和貴金屬作為付款。當投資人要求資金時，他精心編造藉口延後還款。

The fraud was eventually uncovered by Homeland Security Investigations and the Spokane Police Department. McElhiney pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in December 2022.

國土安全調查局和斯波坎警察局最終發現了這項詐欺行為。 McElhiney 於 2022 年 12 月承認一項電匯詐欺罪名。

In addition to the prison sentence, McElhiney was also ordered to pay restitution to his victims and to forfeit the proceeds of his crime, which included a 2022 Ford Bronco.

除了監禁之外，麥克爾海尼還被勒令向受害者支付賠償金，並沒收犯罪所得，其中包括一輛 2022 年福特野馬。