南加州的起诉可能预示着其他有争议的加密项目的影响

观察人士指出，这一备受瞩目的案件是迄今为止最大的 NFT 欺诈起诉案之一，可能预示着对其他有争议的加密项目的潜在影响

Two Southern California men have been indicted on federal fraud charges in what prosecutors say is one of the largest prosecutions to date over allegations of fraud involving non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

两名南加州男子因联邦欺诈指控被起诉，检察官称这是迄今为止针对涉及不可替代代币（NFT）欺诈指控的最大起诉之一。

The燬 indictments, unsealed Friday in Los Angeles, come amid heightened legal scrutiny of cryptocurrency projects following the high-profile collapse of several digital asset ventures in 2022.

这些损害起诉书周五在洛杉矶公布，正值 2022 年几家数字资产企业高调倒闭后，对加密货币项目的法律审查更加严格。

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), 23-year-old Gabriel Hay of Beverly Hills and 23-year-old Gavin Mayo of Thousand Oaks each face multiple counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

据司法部 (DOJ) 称，比佛利山庄 23 岁的加布里埃尔·海 (Gabriel Hay) 和千橡市 (Thousand Oaks) 23 岁的加文·梅奥 (Gavin Mayo) 各自面临多项电汇欺诈和共谋实施电汇欺诈的指控。

The charges stem from allegations that between May 2021 and May 2024, Hay and Mayo carried out multiple “rug pull” schemes involving NFT offerings on prominent blockchain platforms, such as Ethereum and Solana.

这些指控源于指控称，Hay 和 Mayo 在 2021 年 5 月至 2024 年 5 月期间实施了多项“拉动”计划，涉及在以太坊和 Solana 等著名区块链平台上提供 NFT。

Prosecutors allege that the suspects lured investors with elaborate “project roadmaps” and assurances that the tokens being sold would be backed by real-world assets or exclusive benefits. Instead, the pair allegedly abandoned the projects once they had raised substantial capital, leaving thousands of investors with NFTs that quickly became worthless.

检察官称，嫌疑人通过精心设计的“项目路线图”并保证所出售的代币将得到现实世界资产或独家利益的支持来吸引投资者。相反，据称，两人在筹集了大量资金后就放弃了这些项目，导致数千名投资者持有的 NFT 很快变得一文不值。

Authorities have identified projects with names like “Vault of Gems,” “Dirty Dogs,” and “Sinful Souls” as among those allegedly misused to generate illicit gains.

当局已将“宝石库”、“肮脏的狗”和“罪恶的灵魂”等名称的项目列为涉嫌滥用以获取非法收益的项目。

If convicted, Hay and Mayo each face up to 20 years in prison for the wire fraud-related counts and up to five years on a separate charge of stalking, which prosecutors say arose when they allegedly harassed a project manager who attempted to expose their activities.

如果罪名成立，海伊和梅奥将因电汇欺诈相关罪名分别面临最高 20 年的监禁，并因跟踪骚扰罪而面临最高 5 年的监禁，检察官称，他们涉嫌骚扰一名试图揭露其活动的项目经理，因此产生了最高 5 年的监禁。 。

U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada emphasized in a statement that “whenever a new investment trend occurs, scammers are sure to follow.”

美国检察官马丁·埃斯特拉达在一份声明中强调，“每当出现新的投资趋势，诈骗者肯定会跟进。”

“Victims of these rug pulls often lose their life savings, and they deserve justice,” Estrada added. “This office will continue to work closely with the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation to identify, investigate, and prosecute these fraudsters to the fullest extent of the law.”

埃斯特拉达补充道：“这些拉扯行为的受害者往往会失去毕生积蓄，他们应该得到正义。” “该办公室将继续与联邦调查局和国税局刑事调查部门密切合作，在法律允许的最大范围内识别、调查和起诉这些欺诈者。”

The indictments also come as legal experts and consumer advocates are closely watching the fallout from the recent collapse of the Hawk Tuah meme coin, which was promoted heavily on social media.

这些起诉书发布之际，法律专家和消费者权益倡导者正在密切关注最近在社交媒体上大力宣传的 Hawk Tuah meme 币崩溃的影响。

The $HAWK coin, promoted by social media celebrity Haliey Welch—best known for her viral “Hawk Tuah” catchphrase—launched on Dec. 4 to significant fanfare. Within minutes, its market capitalization reportedly soared to around $490 million on the Solana blockchain, only to plunge over 90 percent shortly thereafter, prompting outrage and allegations of “snipers” and insider profiteering.

$HAWK 代币由社交媒体名人哈莉·韦尔奇 (Haliey Welch) 推广，她以其病毒式的“Hawk Tuah”口号而闻名，于 12 月 4 日推出，引起了广泛关注。据报道，几分钟之内，其在 Solana 区块链上的市值飙升至约 4.9 亿美元，但此后不久又暴跌超过 90%，引发了人们的愤怒和对“狙击手”和内部暴利的指控。

Investors claimed they lost millions in the collapse, with at least one lawsuit filed in New York federal court seeking over $150,000 in damages.

投资者声称他们在此次倒闭中损失了数百万美元，至少有一项诉讼向纽约联邦法院提起，要求赔偿超过 15 万美元。

Although Welch herself is not named as a defendant, critics allege her social media endorsements helped generate a “speculative frenzy” among inexperienced crypto buyers. In statements posted on X (formerly Twitter), Welch has maintained her innocence and vowed to cooperate fully with any legal inquiries on behalf of affected investors.

尽管韦尔奇本人没有被列为被告，但批评人士称，她的社交媒体支持在缺乏经验的加密货币买家中引发了“投机狂潮”。在 X（前身为 Twitter）上发布的声明中，韦尔奇坚称自己是清白的，并誓言将代表受影响的投资者全力配合任何法律调查。

The Hawk Tuah controversy shares some thematic parallels with the allegations against Hay and Mayo. Both cases involve internet hype, an exponential increase in token prices, and a swift downturn that left contributors with steep financial losses.

霍克·图阿的争议与针对海伊和梅奥的指控有一些主题相似之处。这两个案例都涉及互联网炒作、代币价格呈指数级上涨，以及导致贡献者遭受巨大经济损失的迅速下滑。

Consumer advocates have noted that, much like the NFT scam described in the California indictment, the Hawk Tuah controversy also featured the promise of exclusivity and community rewards.

消费者权益倡导者指出，与加州起诉书中描述的 NFT 骗局非常相似，Hawk Tuah 争议也以排他性和社区奖励的承诺为特色。

However, crucial distinctions exist. While Hay and Mayo are accused of deliberately planning to abandon their projects after collecting millions, Welch’s representatives insist her team retained their holdings and never attempted to “dump” or profit from selling $HAWK tokens.

然而，存在重要的区别。虽然 Hay 和 Mayo 被指控在筹集了数百万美元后故意计划放弃他们的项目，但韦尔奇的代表坚称她的团队保留了他们的股份，并且从未试图“抛售”或通过出售 $HAWK 代币获利。

The influencer has not been charged with any wrongdoing but remains under scrutiny, as investor lawsuits unfold to determine whether the meme coin offering violated securities laws.

这位影响者尚未被指控犯有任何不当行为，但仍受到审查，因为投资者正在提起诉讼，以确定模因代币发行是否违反了证券法。

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the DOJ have ramped up enforcement against crypto-related fraud, forming specialized units like the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) to combat illicit activities. As the indictment of Hay and Mayo demonstrates, federal authorities remain vigilant.

美国证券交易委员会（SEC）和司法部加大了针对加密货币相关欺诈的执法力度，成立了国家加密货币执法小组（NCET）等专门单位来打击非法活动。正如海伊和梅奥的起诉书所表明的那样，联邦当局仍然保持警惕。

“Fraudsters take advantage of new technologies and financial products,” said Principal Deputy Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, “and the Department of Justice is committed to pursuing offenders who exploit investor trust.”

“欺诈者利用新技术和金融产品，”首席副总检察长 Nicole M. Argentieri 表示，“司法部致力于追捕利用投资者信任的犯罪分子。”

For the Hawk Tuah coin case, potential legal ramifications remain uncertain. Industry observers suggest that, depending on what emerges from ongoing investigations, either civil or criminal actions might follow if evidence points to deliberate investor deception.

对于 Hawk Tuah 硬币案，潜在的法律后果仍不确定。行业观察人士表示，根据正在进行的调查结果，如果有证据表明存在故意欺骗投资者的行为，可能会采取民事或刑事诉讼。

Welch, who has faced criticism over her handling of the situation, has promised to help “uncover the truth” behind the coin’s abrupt collapse.

韦尔奇因处理此事而受到批评，但她承诺帮助“揭开比特币突然暴跌背后的真相”。