US hacker faces 20-year prison sentence over $37m crypto theft

As a seasoned crypto investor with over a decade of experience in this dynamic industry, I can’t help but feel a mix of dismay and disappointment upon reading about Evan Frederick Light’s alleged actions. The audacity to hack into an investment firm’s servers and steal millions worth of cryptocurrencies from innocent clients is beyond reprehensible.


21-year-old Evan Frederick Light stands convicted of a potential 20-year imprisonment for his actions involving the theft of approximately $37 million in cryptocurrency from a company that manages investments based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

According to a statement from the U.S Department of Justice on October 1st, it was announced that Light is facing charges for two offenses: Conspiring to Perform Fraud by Using Telecommunication and Conspiring to Clean Criminal Money.

Each indictment carries a maximum sentence of incarceration for up to 20 years, along with a possible fine. Following this, there will be a supervision period of three years. Additionally, a fee of $200 will be paid into the Federal Crime Victims Fund.

In February 2022, an individual known as Light infiltrated a financial company’s digital server system to obtain client data and pilfer cryptocurrencies from approximately 600 customers. This operation was apparently carried out with the assistance of an unknown associate.

In simpler terms, Light exploited the identities of his clients from the investment firm to gain unauthorized entry into the company’s servers. Once he managed to get inside the computer system, he was capable of accessing and stealing the digital assets of hundreds of other clients that were listed with the investment firm.

The pilfered cryptocurrency was subsequently dispersed to numerous spots worldwide, encompassing several anonymizing services and online gambling platforms. This action was taken with the intention of obfuscating his digital trail, rendering the funds hard to retrace.

U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell stated that this case underscores our office’s ongoing efforts alongside the FBI to combat cybercrime, particularly given the swift advancement of digital assets.

In a recent statement, I emphasized that today’s convictions underscore our commitment to apprehending cyber criminals, no matter how intricate their offenses may appear.

In the role of a researcher, I’d express it this way: “Based on a recent FBI report released on September 9, it was revealed that individuals in the United States collectively suffered losses amounting to approximately $5.6 billion due to cryptocurrency scams in the year 2023.

2023 saw over 69,000 complaints about financial scams related to cryptocurrencies, primarily Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Tether (USDT), being reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

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2024-10-02 09:48