According to Decrypt, on September 18, Hex and PulseChain founder Richard Schueler (also known as Richard Heart) is currently under criminal investigation in Finland for major tax evasion and assault, according to Finnish media YLE. Helsinki police detective Harri Saaristola said Schueler, who lives in Helsinki, is suspected of evading hundreds of millions of euros in taxes.
The investigation began at the request of the Finnish Tax Administration and stemmed from discrepancies between Schueler's tax declarations and the Tax Administration's income assessment. Police believe that Schueler created, launched and promoted his cryptocurrency projects in Finland, with a global marketing reach. On September 13, 2024, Schueler was detained in absentia and his whereabouts are currently unknown. The alleged tax evasion is understood to have occurred between June 2, 2020 and April 2, 2024, and another assault charge occurred between February 16 and 17, 2021. Schueler also faces charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States, accused of illegally raising more than $1 billion. As of the end of 2023, the SEC has not been able to determine his whereabouts. The charges relate to the international marketing activities of his Hex and Pulse projects.