22-Year-Old Pleads Guilty in $263 Million Bitcoin and Crypto Theft
A 22-year-old California resident pleaded guilty to laundering $3.5 million in crypto stolen during a massive social engineering scheme.Summary
Evan Tangeman, a 22-year-old from Newport Beach, California, pleaded guilty to participating in a RICO conspiracy for laundering $3.5 million in cryptocurrency stolen by a multi-state social engineering enterprise. The scheme, which operated from October 2023 to May 2025, involved database hackers, callers impersonating exchange staff, and burglars targeting hardware wallets. The largest theft involved over 4,100 Bitcoin, valued at $263 million at the time, taken from a D.C. victim in August 2024. Tangeman's role included converting stolen crypto to cash to secure luxury rental homes for the group. The enterprise funded an extravagant lifestyle, including nightclub services, luxury goods, and exotic cars. Three additional defendants were recently charged, bringing the total named defendants to at least twelve. Tangeman is the ninth to plead guilty, with sentencing scheduled for April 2026.
(Source：Bitcoin Magazine)