Policy Regula2026-09-30 10:03:44Former Georgia bank employee accused of linking customer accounts to Coinbase without authorizationAccording to CBS Atlanta, a 35-year-old woman from Stone Mountain, Georgia, identified as Mercedes Henry, has been accused of linking six customers’ bank accounts to cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase without authorization while working as a universal banker at Ameris Bank. Prosecutors allege the activity took place between September and November 2021. The report said Henry and others moved about $931,000 into a Coinbase account she controlled. A federal grand jury has charged her with multiple counts, including bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery. Henry was arrested on Sept. 25 and has already appeared in court. The case remains under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI. The allegations were cited by ChainCatcher, which referenced CBS Atlanta as the source of the report.420
Policy and Re2026-09-30 09:59:12Former U.S. bank teller charged in scheme that routed customer funds to CoinbaseA former bank teller in Stone Mountain, Georgia, has been charged over an alleged crypto-linked fraud scheme involving customer bank accounts and identity data. Prosecutors say 35-year-old Mercedes Henry, while working at Ameris Bank in 2021, used the information of six customers without their permission to link their bank accounts to Coinbase. She allegedly worked with others to move about $931,000 into a Coinbase account under her control. According to prosecutors, Henry received more than $1,000 for taking part in the scheme, though the exact amount was not disclosed. A federal grand jury has indicted her on charges including bank fraud, access device fraud, and bribery. She was arrested on Sept. 25 and later appeared in court. The case remains under investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI. CBS News was cited as the source in the Techub News item.410
Hong Kong2026-09-20 10:36:38Former CCB Asia manager in Hong Kong gets four years for taking $470,000 in USDT bribesA Hong Kong court has sentenced former China Construction Bank (Asia) relationship manager Lam Chun-yin to four years in prison after he admitted taking more than $470,000 in USDT bribes between April and June 2022 to certify false banking documents. The District Court, with Judge Ernest Lin Kam-hung presiding, also ordered Lam to repay about HK$3.7 million to CCB (Asia), an amount the court said was equivalent to the crypto bribes involved in the case. According to the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Lam was working in the personal banking department of CCB (Asia)'s Causeway Bay retail branch at the time and did not have authority to handle commercial lending or letters of credit. ICAC said he conspired with a department head from the Vesttoo platform and others to certify 88 false standby letters of credit and two false letters of guarantee for Yu Po Holdings Limited. The face value of those documents exceeded $1.6 billion. ICAC also said Vesttoo has ceased operations and arrest warrants have been issued for other people tied to the case.550
United States2026-07-18 02:04:23South Dakota crypto investor charged in alleged $20 million Ponzi schemeA federal grand jury in the United States has indicted Benjamin Paul Wiener, a 43-year-old crypto investor from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on 29 counts including wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft, according to BlockBeats. Prosecutors allege the case involved about $20 million and affected dozens of investors across South Dakota and Minnesota. The indictment says Wiener used eight entities under his control to lure investors with false statements, collecting both cash and crypto assets. Prosecutors said he then moved the funds through banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal their source and used some of the money for personal spending. They also allege that when investors sought redemptions or new money dried up, he recruited additional investors and used new funds to pay earlier ones. Separately, prosecutors accuse Wiener of obtaining a $1 million line of credit from a bank in April 2025 by using falsified documents, fabricated communications records, and stolen identity information. Wiener has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has been released pending trial. The case is scheduled to go to court on September 15.2240
South Dakota2026-07-16 15:09:26South Dakota crypto investor faces 29 charges in alleged $20 million fraud caseU.S. prosecutors said a federal grand jury has charged Sioux Falls, South Dakota, crypto investor Benjamin Paul Wiener with 29 criminal counts tied to an alleged $20 million fraud scheme. The charges include wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, Wiener, 43, is accused of using false statements to persuade dozens of investors in South Dakota and Minnesota to send money and digital assets to several companies he controlled. Prosecutors allege that after obtaining the funds, Wiener moved assets through banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to conceal their source, ownership, and control, while using part of the money for personal expenses. They also say he kept recruiting new investors when cash ran short or when earlier investors sought redemptions, and used later funds to repay earlier ones, an operating pattern they describe as consistent with a Ponzi scheme. The indictment says the conduct involved eight companies, including several LLCs. Wiener is also accused of forging documents and communication records in April 2025 and using another person’s identifying information to obtain a $1 million line of credit from a financial institution in Sioux Falls. He appeared in court on July 10, pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was released on bond. Trial is scheduled for Sept. 15. The case is being investigated jointly by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation division and the FBI.2190
United States2026-07-16 15:08:45U.S. federal grand jury indicts South Dakota crypto investor Benjamin Paul WienerA U.S. federal grand jury has indicted South Dakota-based crypto investor Benjamin Paul Wiener, according to a report cited by ChainCatcher from The Block. The indictment includes 29 counts in total. The charges listed in the report include wire fraud, money laundering, bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft. No additional details about the case, timeline, or court proceedings were provided in the brief. The update was published as a 7x24 newsflash by ChainCatcher and attributes the information to The Block.2380
