German citizen Horst Jicha is now a fugitive after jumping bail in a $150 million cryptocurrency fraud case in New York, CNBC reports. He failed to appear in court after tampering with an ankle bracelet monitor on October 3. The Brooklyn U.S. Attorney's Office is actively investigating to catch him. Jicha's $5 million bail includes $4 million personally guaranteed by his partner, children, and three other people, and another $1 million in cash deposited with the federal government, who are currently facing personal liability for the bail amount.
Horst Jicha was scheduled to go to trial on March 31, facing multiple securities fraud and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors pointed out that USI Tech's platform was actually a fake multi-level marketing scheme in which Jicha deceived investors and lived in Brazil and Spain before and after his arrest. He was arrested in Florida in late 2023 and was released on bail in January, but violated the conditions of appearing in court, visiting with lawyers, or seeking medical treatment during his bail. After his arrest, about $150 million worth of Ethereum and Bitcoin were sent to cryptocurrency deposit addresses controlled by Horst Jicha.