US Attorney Craig Carpenito in New Jersey said in a statement that the three men were charged with helping to run the $ 722 million crypto fraud, a “high-tech Ponzi scheme”.
Prosecutors said that from 2014 until this month, the defendants operated the BitClub Network, which solicited money from investors in exchange for shares in alleged cryptocurrency mining pools and rewarded them for recruiting new investors.
According to Carpenito’s statement, Matthew Brent Goets, 37, Jobadih Sinclair Wicks, 38, and Joseph Frank Abell, 49, were arrested on Tuesday and charged with conspiracy. Two other defendants, whose names were not released, remained at large.
According to the statement, Goettsche referred to prospective BitClub Network investors as “fools” and “sheep,” saying he was “building this whole model on the backs of idiots.” In September 2017, Goetsche sent an email to a co-conspirator in which he suggested that the bitclub network would allow him to “take back the RAF” !!! “Prosecutors said.
Goets and Vicks are accused of conspiracy to wire fraud, while all three men are accused of conspiracy to sell unregistered securities.
The lawyers representing the three named defendants of the defense cannot be located immediately. Carpenito said in the statement that he expected to appear in court on Tuesday.
Case us V. Goetche, 19-Kr 00877, is of the District of the United States District Court, New Jersey (Newark).
