Gary James Harmon, brother of the operator of the crypto mixing service Helix, has been sentenced to four years and three months in prison for stealing over 712 Bitcoin, valued at around $4.8 million, which were subject to forfeiture in a criminal case. Gary transferred the Bitcoins to a wallet he controlled to prevent law enforcement from forfeiting them, then used them to finance large purchases and other expenses. The Bitcoins were linked to Helix, an online Bitcoin mixer run by Larry Harmon, who was arrested in 2020 for laundering over 350,000 Bitcoin for his customers. Gary has agreed to the forfeiture of cryptocurrencies and other properties derived from the fraudulently taken proceeds, including over 647.41 Bitcoin, 2.14 Ethereum, and 17,404,400.64 Dogecoin, now valued at over $20 million due to a surge in market prices. The crackdown on crypto mixers continues, with authorities in the US and other countries taking down several illegal crypto-mixing facilities in recent years.
(By Arnab Shome)
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