A Maryland Heights man, Richard Charles Appelbaum III, has been sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to repay $2.3 million for his role in laundering millions through cryptocurrency. Appelbaum, 40, conspired with others to funnel proceeds from Business Email Compromise (BEC) and romance fraud schemes into cryptocurrency via Coins2trade. Recruited by “E.S.,” allegedly a major cryptocurrency figure, he received training to open fraudulent business and personal accounts, hiding their connection to crypto. Over 36 victims were defrauded, and Appelbaum laundered $3.5 million, moving funds across accounts to obscure their source. The FBI led the investigation, uncovering 34 wire transfers totaling $8.3 million linked to the fraud.
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