The 55-count indictment charges the two Arizonans with wire fraud and money laundering.
PHOENIX — Two Arizona residents have been indicted in federal court for allegedly scamming hundreds of people in a cryptocurrency scheme.
Luis Ortega, 42, of Litchfield Park, and Jeremie Sowerby, 45, of Fountain Hills are accused tricking people to invest in “risk-free” opportunities that promised to yield lavish gifts and profits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Arizona.
The fraudulent investment opportunities involved purported Bitcoin mining machines located abroad and in Arizona, as well as a real estate company where investors could buy custom-built container houses by using a “Millenium” cryptocurrency.
Prosecutors said the entire scheme was based on lies and millions of dollars was lost.
The defendants allegedly targeted victims between 2017 and 2023. According to the FBI, the defendants are believed to be affiliated with the following entities: Now Mining, Millennium, Dunamis, Digital Mint, VIP Mining, My Blockchain Life, and BlockX.
The 55-count indictment filed against Ortega and Sowerby charges them with wire fraud and money laundering. If convicted on the charges, the defendants potentially face a lengthy prison sentence.
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized by the defendants can contact the FBI here.
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Read More:2 Arizona residents accused of scamming hundreds in crypto scheme
2023-11-16 19:38:00