Two Men Jailed for £5.7 Million Cryptocurrency Scam 🚔
Two men stole over £5.7 million worth of cryptocurrency from victims around the world. They have been jailed for their crimes.
👤 Jake Lee, 38, from Bath
👤 James Heppel, 42, from Wiltshire
Key Points:
1️⃣ Both pleaded guilty to three counts of conspiracy to commit fraud.
2️⃣ The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) found 55 victims in 26 countries, including 11 from the UK.
3️⃣ Lee was sentenced to 4 years in prison, and Heppel got 15 months.
How They Did It:
🔸 The pair replicated the website of cryptocurrency exchange Blockchain.com.
🔸 This allowed them to steal funds and login details from victims' Bitcoin wallets.
What Was Found:
💼 £551,000 in cash handed over by Lee.
🖼️ A Banksy print worth £60,000.
💷 Cash totaling £835,000.
💻 £64,000 worth of cryptocurrency.
🚗 Three cars were confiscated.
Legal Actions:
⚖️ A confiscation order for nearly £1 million against Lee to compensate victims.
⚖️ Similar proceedings for Heppel are ongoing.
Investigation Details:
🔍 The investigation began with Lee’s arrest on suspicion of money laundering.
🔍 Officers recovered £24,000 in cash and three Bitcoin wallet recovery seeds.
🔍 SWROCU also investigated a Wiltshire victim who lost £11,000 worth of Bitcoin.
Statements:
Detective Superintendent Matt Brain:
“This was a complex investigation involving domain spoofing fraud and identifying numerous victims.”
Pamela Jain, Crown Prosecution Service:
“This prosecution involved numerous victims and authorities worldwide.”
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