Image Credit: zondacrypto.com
Polish prosecutors have charged a fifth suspect in the widening investigation into crypto exchange ZondaCrypto, formerly known as BitBay. Roman Ż. faces allegations tied to an organized criminal group and the alleged diversion of at least 7.8 million zlotys in customer funds.
Roman Ż. Faces Two Charges
Authorities arrested Roman Ż. on Sept. 5 after prosecutors said they had reasonable grounds to believe he might flee. Officers searched the location where he was detained and his registered residence, seizing valuables and documents connected to ZondaCrypto.
Prosecutors later charged him with participating in an organized criminal group allegedly formed to commit computer fraud for financial gain. A second charge concerns the alleged diversion of at least 7.8 million zlotys in customer funds through computer fraud.
Roman Ż. denied the allegations and gave investigators an extensive statement, according to his lawyer. Prosecutors have asked a court to place him in pretrial detention.
Probe Covers Alleged Fraud and Money Laundering
Polish prosecutors opened the ZondaCrypto investigation in April over allegations that customers were misled about their ability to buy and store fiat currencies and crypto assets through the exchange. The case also covers suspected money laundering linked to allegedly fraudulent funds.
Prosecutors initially estimated alleged customer losses at no less than 350 million zlotys. They also said the exchange had lacked access since 2022 to a cold wallet said to contain about 4,500 BTC, which investigators allege was concealed from customers.
By June, prosecutors had registered more than 3,600 complaints from alleged victims and questioned nearly 1,000 of them. Investigators had also secured more than 250 terabytes of data from ZondaCrypto servers.
Case Merged With Founder Disappearance Investigation
Prosecutors merged the ZondaCrypto investigation in July with a separate case involving the disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, who founded BitBay before it became ZondaCrypto. Suszek disappeared in March 2022.
The National Prosecutor’s Office said circumstances of the creation and operation of BitBay and ZondaCrypto could help investigators determine what happened to him. Authorities have not publicly established a direct connection between the alleged financial misconduct and Suszek’s disappearance.
Recent Arrests Expand the Investigation
Roman Ż.’s charges follow several other arrests in the case. Three suspects, Anna P., Jaromira W. and Rafał Z., were charged in early September with offenses including alleged participation in an organized criminal group, money laundering and misuse of company assets.
All three denied the allegations and were placed in pretrial detention for three months. The wider investigation remains active as prosecutors examine customer losses, company assets, transactions, and the circumstances of Suszek’s disappearance.
