The leader of a Miami group involved in a crypto scam that defrauded U.S. banks of $4 million received a 63-month prison sentence from a New York district judge. Esteban Cabrera Da Corte, who pleaded guilty in April to participating in the 2020 scheme, aimed to steal millions in crypto and deceive U.S. banks into refunding them. The 27-year-old was ordered to pay restitution of nearly $3.6 million and forfeiture of $1.2 million. Da Corte, one of three individuals arrested in August 2022, played a role in a crime that led to U.S. banks processing over $4 million in fraudulent reversals, with a cryptocurrency exchange losing more than $3.5 million worth of cryptocurrency. The arrests gained attention following the high-profile collapse of crypto enterprise Terra, prompting calls from U.S. lawmakers for increased scrutiny of bad actors in the cryptocurrency space.
By FCCT Editorial Team