A U.S. prosecutor has secured a six-year prison term in a high-profile Bitcoin laundering case that underscores the Justice Department’s stepped-up campaign against crypto-enabled scams. Key case details - Defendant: Evan Tangeman. Sentence: 6 years in prison plus 3 years of supervised release. - Charges: Pleaded guilty to participating in a RICO conspiracy and admitted laundering at least $3.5 million in stolen Bitcoin. - Role: Tangeman converted stolen crypto into fiat and worked with Los Angeles real estate agents to buy luxury homes for members of the criminal enterprise. Prosecutors also say he attempted to destroy evidence after co-conspirators were arrested—conduct the U.S. Attorney called “consciousness of guilt.” Scope of the scheme - The multistate criminal enterprise ran a social-engineering scam that prosecutors say stole hundreds of millions in Bitcoin. (The press release references both $236 million and an amount “more than $263 million.”) - The group operated no later than October 2023 through at least May 2025 and included participants in California, Connecticut, New York, and overseas. Roles in the ring ranged from database hackers and organizers to target identifiers, callers, and residential burglars who focused on Bitcoin wallets. Broader enforcement push - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. announced this sentence as part of a broader DOJ effort to disrupt crypto scams and recover illicit proceeds. The office says it has seized over $700 million in Bitcoin allegedly tied to money laundering from crypto scams. - The DOJ’s Scam Center Strike Force has coordinated actions against Southeast Asian scam operations that have defrauded Americans. As part of those efforts, prosecutors criminally charged two Chinese nationals who ran a crypto investment fraud compound in Burma and seized more than $63 million from them—amounts the DOJ says contribute to the roughly $700 million total seized. Why it matters This case highlights two enforcement trends: the DOJ’s willingness to pursue traditional RICO charges in crypto-related frauds and its growing use of asset seizures to recover funds. For the crypto industry, it’s a reminder that cross-border scam centers and money-laundering networks remain high priorities for U.S. law enforcement. Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news