Recently, the Department of Justice highlighted enforcement efforts that allegedly aimed at protecting  Americans from transnational fraud schemes.  Here are some of the cases discussed:

United States v. Troy Murray and United States v. Cutter Murray. On June 11, 2025, DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch filed an Information in SDFL charging Troy Murray also known as “Steve Dixson” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Troy Murray sold to lottery fraud scammers, including Jamaicans, his lead list database containing the names, and personal information of over seven million elderly American consumers. These lists were allegedly then used to defraud elderly victims. Additionally, Cutter Murray, Troy Murray’s son, will plead guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and then laundering $1.6 million of the fraudulent funds Troy Murray obtained.

United States v. Jimmy Smith. On April 1, 2025 the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced charges against Jimmy Smith, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, who resided in Hinesville, Georgia. According to court documents, Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize.

United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.  He plead guilty to mail fraud, aiding and abetting money laundering and money laundering on June 26, 2025.  The DOJ states “romance schemes”  generally begin when the “bad actors” recruit victims through advertisements for online relationships on dating or social media websites. Individuals perpetuating romance scams often create fictitious profiles and then use them to gain victims’ trust through a purported romantic relationship. Perpetrators then direct their victims to send money or to conduct financial transactions involving other victims’ money under false pretenses, such as an urgent need for money to secure a multi-million dollar inheritance or to pay for an unexpected hospitalization.

Another romance scheme can involve investing in cryptocurrency. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) has filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) cryptocurrency, valued at more than $8.2 million in February, 2025.   In that case, investigators found that scammers initially contacted the victims through seemingly misdirected, or “wrong number,” text messages. The fraudster then gained the victim’s trust and affection using various manipulative tactics. Once trust was established with the victim, the fraudster would share how much success they, or someone they knew, had with investing in cryptocurrency. This personal testimonial lessened any uncertainties the victims may have had about virtual currencies and eventually had the intended effect to persuade the victim to proceed with the investment.

The fraudster would then guide the victim, step-by-step, on how to open a legitimate cryptocurrency account, most often with a U.S. based virtual currency exchange such as Crypto.com or Coinbase. The scammer would walk the victim through the entire process of transferring money from their bank to the newly created cryptocurrency account. Next, the victim received instructions on how to transfer the purchased cryptocurrency assets to an online “investment platform,” which would turn out to be a fake site created by the fraudsters to look like a legitimate company. Information on the platforms promised lucrative returns which encouraged victims to invest further. However, once the victim transferred their funds to the “investment platform” they unknowingly handed over complete control and ownership of their funds to the scammer.  These fake cryptocurrency trading platforms or fake versions of official crypto wallets to trick unsuspecting victims. These fake websites usually have similar but slightly different domain names from the sites they attempt to mimic.

The complaint also outlines that the perpetrators of such investment fraud schemes often allow victims to withdraw a portion of their “profits” early on in the scheme to build trust and reinforce their belief that the “investment platform” was legitimate. But as the scheme progressed, victims were unable to withdraw their funds and given excuses as to why they could not access their funds. For example, the fraudsters referred to a fake “tax” requirement, stating that taxes must be paid on the proceeds generated from the investment platform. Knowing that the scam would run its course soon, the fraudsters used last-ditch efforts to lie to victims that they had to pay a tax. Ultimately, victims were locked out of their account on the investment platform and lost their funds.

A woman in Lake County, Ohio became the target of such a scam when she responded to a text on her phone from an unknown number in November 2023. She began sharing information via text with the person and the two bonded over topics such as hobbies and religion. Over a period of time, the victim followed instructions from her new “friend” and opened an account at Crypto.com and then transferred funds into the account. When the victim wanted to withdraw funds, her “friend,” relented and said additional payments were needed and she complied. When the victim no longer had any funds left after making additional payments, her “friend” began to threaten her that he would send his friends to “take care of” her friends and family. Having lost her entire life savings of approximately $663,352, including funds from her Roth IRA, the victim filed a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center to report the losses in June 2024. The FBI Cleveland Division subsequently initiated an investigation.

United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”

The experienced federal criminal defense attorneys at Conaway & Strickler, PC are here to protect your rights, reputation, and future should you be under investigation. With decades of experience in defending traditional financial fraud paired with a deep understanding of the newer world of cryptocurrency, our firm possesses the skills and expertise to assist those accused of any type of fraud.  Call or contact us online for a confidential consultation.

“Cyber extortion is unfortunately a rapidly growing threat and highlights the ever-growing need for corporations to remain vigilant in cybersecurity efforts,” said Sean Burke, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing is just one example of the FBI working together to hold criminals that hide behind their computers accountable, regardless of their location.”

According to information presented in court, in June 2017, Purbeck purchased access to the computer server of a Griffin medical clinic on a darknet marketplace. He then used the stolen credentials to illegally access the computers of the medical clinic and removed records that contained the sensitive personal information of more than 43,000 individuals, including names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers.

In February 2018, Purbeck purchased access to a City of Newnan Police Department server on a darknet marketplace. Purbeck used the stolen credentials to hack into the City of Newnan’s computer systems and stole police reports and other documents, including personal information of more than 14,000 individuals.

Purbeck also attempted to extort a Florida orthodontist in July 2018, demanding a ransom payment in Bitcoin in return for his stolen patient files, threatening to sell the patient and personal information unless the orthodontist paid the ransom. Additionally, Purbeck threatened to sell the personal information of the orthodontist’s minor child. Purbeck harassed the orthodontist and his patients for 10 days with numerous threatening emails and text messages.

Song Wu, Chinese national, was indicted in September 2024, on charges for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft arising from his efforts to fraudulently obtain computer software and source code created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), research universities, and private companies.

“Efforts to obtain our nation’s valuable research software pose a grave threat to our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “However, this indictment demonstrates that borders are not barriers to prosecuting bad actors who threaten our national security.” According to information presented in court, Song allegedly engaged in a multi-year “spear phishing” email campaign in which he created email accounts to impersonate U.S.-based researchers and engineers and then used those imposter accounts to obtain specialized restricted or proprietary software used for aerospace engineering and computational fluid dynamics. This specialized software could be used for industrial and military applications, such as development of advanced tactical missiles and aerodynamic design and assessment of weapons. In executing the scheme, Song allegedly sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with the United States government, including NASA, the U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army, and the Federal Aviation Administration.  Song also sent spear phishing emails to individuals employed in positions with major research universities in Georgia, Michigan, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, and with private sector companies that work in the aerospace field. Song’s spear phishing emails appeared to the targeted victims as having been sent by a colleague, associate, friend, or other person in the research or engineering community. His emails requested that the targeted victim send or make available source code or software to which Song believed the targeted victim had access. According to the indictment, while conducting this spear phishing campaign, Song was employed as an engineer at Aviation Industry Corporation of China (“AVIC”), a Chinese state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Beijing, China.  AVIC manufactures civilian and military aircrafts and is one of the largest defense contractors in the world.

Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, of New York City, was sentenced recently to 60 months in federal prison for his involvement in a money laundering conspiracy arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange. According to information presented in court, Lichtenstein hacked into Bitfinex’s network in 2016, using advanced hacking tools and techniques. Once inside the network, Lichtenstein fraudulently authorized more than 2,000 transactions transferring 119,754 bitcoin from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by deleting from Bitfinex’s network access credentials and other log files that could have revealed his conduct to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds. Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency in a practice known as “chain hopping;” depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize Lichtenstein’s and Morgan’s banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins. Additional information on this case is available on the United States Department of Justice’s website for large cases here.  

Reduction in Time Requirements

Previously, individuals convicted of a sexual offense in Georgia had to wait 10 years after completing their sentence before petitioning the court for removal from the Sex Offender Registry. SB 493 has reduced this waiting period to 5 years, making it possible for eligible individuals to initiate the process sooner. This amendment reflects a shift toward offering second chances, particularly for those who demonstrate low risk of reoffending.

Risk Level Consideration

While the waiting period has been shortened, the bill introduces a new hurdle: petitioners must now be classified as Level I offenders (low risk) by the Georgia Sex Offender Risk Review Board. Previously, individuals classified as Level II were eligible for removal after 10 years, but SB 493 restricts this privilege exclusively to Level I offenders. This change narrows the pool of individuals who may be eligible for removal from the registry, especially because many individuals remain “unlevelled” by SORRB for years. For individuals who are seeking leveling, the assistance of an attorney could be pivotal. Once you are levelled, there are limited ways to appeal that classification, and now, any classification other than Level I can jeopardize eligibility for removal.

Special Provision for Elderly Offenders

Senate Bill 493 also introduces an additional avenue for elderly offenders seeking removal. Individuals aged 80 or older are now eligible to petition for removal, provided they meet other conditions such as completing their sentence. This amendment is intended to ease the burden on elderly individuals who may no longer pose a threat to the community.

Challenges for Out-of-State and Federal Convictions

The bill also makes the process more challenging for individuals convicted outside of Georgia or under military/federal law. Such petitioners must now demonstrate that they have already been removed from the registry in their original state or under federal law before seeking removal in Georgia. Additionally, they must meet the same criteria as in-state offenders, including the new Level I requirement. This change adds significant complexity for out-of-state or federal offenders who wish to clear their name in Georgia.

Conclusion

In summary, SB 493 introduces both relaxed and tightened requirements for removal from the Georgia Sex Offender Registry. The waiting period has been reduced for those convicted in Georgia, but the risk level threshold has been raised. Additionally, elderly individuals now have new opportunities to seek removal, while out-of-state offenders face additional challenges.

However, it is important to note that the changes enacted by SB 493 only apply to those who committed offenses after July 1, 2024. These changes do not apply to individuals who committed offenses and were already on the Registry prior to July 1, 2024. It is crucial to understand what laws apply to your case with the constant changes to O.C.G.A. § 42-1-19.

If you or a loved one is seeking removal from the Georgia Sex Offender Registry, it’s essential to understand these changes and how they might apply to your case. Consulting with an experienced attorney can help navigate the petition process.

So what to do to prepare? Some obvious first steps are educating employees on cyber safety measures, making sure emails are encrypted, ensuring cyber insurance is up to date and becoming familiar with your company’s assets. You want to have a procedure and plan written ahead of time.