British sprinter CJ Ujah charged in cryptocurrency fraud case

According to a police report, former World Athletics Championships 4x100m relay gold medalist and British sprinter CJ Ujah, along with nine others, has been charged with "conspiracy to defraud" in connection with a cryptocurrency scam.

Police stated that the criminal gang impersonated police officers and cryptocurrency company staff to conduct telephone scams against multiple victims, tricking them into disclosing key wallet security information, including seed phrases, before transferring the victims' crypto assets. One victim suffered losses exceeding £300,000. The case was cracked following a joint investigation by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) spanning Kent, Essex, and London. The ten suspects have appeared in court, with Ujah granted bail until a further hearing on May 28.

Ujah, now 32, won a 4x100m relay gold medal for Great Britain at the 2017 World Championships and also claimed the Diamond League title that same year. In 2022, he received a 22-month ban for a doping violation, later attributed to a contaminated supplement. In addition to Ujah, another British sprinter, Brandon Mingeli, was also on the arrest list and is currently being held in custody pending trial. (The Guardian)