Crypto CEO pleads guilty to $250 million scam, SDNY says

Policy • February 10, 2023, 5:18PM EST

Quick Take

The CEO of a purported cryptocurrency and currency trading platform called EminiFX pleaded guilty to one count of commodities fraud.
Eddy Alexandre agreed to forfeit $248.8 million, in addition to restitution.

Eddy Alexandre, the CEO of a purported cryptocurrency and currency trading platform called EminiFX, pleaded guilty to one count of commodities fraud and agreed to forfeit $248.8 million in addition to restitution, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York said Friday.

Alexandre was alleged to have solicited investments from tens of thousands of investors and fabricated weekly returns of at least five percent, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

"Alexandre’s scam caused investors to lose millions of dollars, and this case should serve as yet another warning to cryptocurrency executives that the Southern District of New York is closely watching and ready to prosecute any and all misconduct in the crypto markets,” he said.

Alexandre is alleged to have transferred at least $14.7 million to his personal bank account, and he used investor funds to purchase a BMW for himself. The offense to which he pleaded guilty carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prisons.

About Author

Nathan Crooks is the U.S managing editor at The Block, based in Miami. He was previously at Bloomberg News for 12 years, where he helmed coverage of South Florida after roles as a breaking news editor and bureau chief in Caracas, Venezuela. He's interviewed presidents, government ministers and CEOs, and, besides crypto, has covered major news events on the ground from earthquakes to hurricanes to the Chilean mine rescue in 2018. Nathan, a native of Clarion, Pennsylvania, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto, where he completed a specialist in political science, and an MBA from American University in Washington, D.C.