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- Ronald Spektor received a prison sentence of four to 12 years for stealing nearly $16 million from Coinbase users.
- Spektor pleaded guilty to all 31 counts on Sept. 2 and was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun on Sept. 23.
- The court ordered Spektor to pay nearly $16 million in restitution and forfeit assets valued at more than $500,000.
Brooklyn Man Gets Up to 12 Years for $16M Coinbase Support Scam. A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for stealing nearly $16 million from about 100 Coinbase users through a fake customer-support scheme. Prosecutors said victims were tricked into transferring crypto to wallets Ronald Spektor could access. The case involved social engineering rather than unauthorized access to Coinbase’s systems.
Spektor Posed as Coinbase Representative
Spektor, 23, of Sheepshead Bay, contacted Coinbase users while posing as a company representative, according to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. He told victims their assets were at risk from a hacker and needed to be moved to new wallets.
Believing they were protecting their funds, users transferred crypto to wallets that Spektor could access. Prosecutors said the scheme caused approximately $15.94 million in losses among about 100 U.S. victims. Some individuals lost $1 million or more.
Spektor Pleaded Guilty to 31 Counts
Spektor pleaded guilty on Sept. 2 to the entire 31-count indictment. Charges included first-degree money laundering, first-degree grand larceny and first-degree criminal possession of stolen property.
Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun sentenced him on Sept. 23. Prosecutors had sought a prison term of seven to 21 years. District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said investigators followed the stolen assets across blockchain transactions.
“Today’s sentencing holds the defendant accountable for a brazen, long-running social engineering scam that amounted to a digital robbery of nearly 100 victims.”
Court Orders Nearly $16M in Restitution
The court ordered Spektor to make almost $16 million in restitution. He must also forfeit cash, cryptocurrency and personal property valued at more than $500,000. The DA release does not specify the personal property involved.
Prosecutors said Spektor moved stolen assets through crypto exchanges, swapping and mixing services, gambling platforms and online storefronts. Coinbase users were targeted through impersonation rather than a breach of the exchange itself.
