Miami Man Pleads Guilty to Promoting HyperFund Scam, Involving $1.8 Billion in Investor Funds
Odaily Odaily News Rodney "Bitcoin Rodney" Burton, a resident of Miami, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to participating in a cryptocurrency fraud scheme related to HyperFund, which involved approximately $1.8 billion.
According to federal prosecutors in Maryland, Burton admitted to "conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business." He participated in promoting this Ponzi-structured project between June 2020 and January 2022, profiting approximately $7.85 million.
Law enforcement authorities indicated that HyperFund attracted investors with promises of high returns of "0.5% to 1% daily," but there was no actual cryptocurrency mining or sustainable source of revenue. The funds essentially came from new investors, representing a typical Ponzi scheme structure. The platform began restricting withdrawals in 2021.
The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the project raised funds from investors worldwide and was used for promotion and fund transfers during its operation, constituting a large-scale跨境 wire fraud network.
Burton faces a maximum of 5 years in federal prison, with sentencing scheduled for July 23. Law enforcement agencies stated that the case was jointly investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations. (U.S. Department of Justice)
