sentenced<\/a> on June 27 by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II in Brooklyn federal court. Golden had pleaded guilty in September 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.<\/p>\nGolden, alongside co-defendants Gregory Aggesen, Marquis Egerton (also known as \u201cMardy Eger\u201d), and William White, operated three fraudulent digital asset firms\u2014EmpowerCoin, ECoinPlus, and Jet-Coin.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said these companies promised guaranteed returns through overseas crypto trading but instead operated as Ponzi schemes, using new investor funds to pay earlier investors or to enrich themselves.<\/p>\n
The scheme was active between April and August 2017, and investors were left with substantial losses after the operators shut down the platforms and disappeared with the funds.<\/p>\n
Golden and his associates also attempted to obstruct federal investigations by destroying evidence and submitting false information to authorities.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Between 2017 and 2022, Golden, Aggesen, and White allegedly conspired to hinder a Federal Trade Commission probe and a federal grand jury investigation into the fraudulent operations. White reportedly acted on Aggesen\u2019s behalf to provide misleading statements in response to official subpoenas.<\/p>\n
Golden was also ordered to forfeit $2.46 million, with additional restitution to be decided later. Co-defendant William White has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Aggesen and Egerton are awaiting sentencing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Victims have been advised to submit restitution claims to the FBI as part of the ongoing recovery process.<\/p>\n
Golden\u2019s sentencing adds to a string of recent crypto-related enforcement actions by the DOJ in June. Earlier this month, the agency moved to seize over $225 million in cryptocurrency linked to pig butchering scams.<\/p>\n
In a separate case, the DOJ filed a forfeiture action to seize over $7.7 million in crypto tied to North Korean operatives. Just days later, the agency also charged a Russian national and founder of a crypto payments firm for operating a $500 million money laundering scheme.<\/p>\n
U.S. officials have signaled that aggressive enforcement will continue as crypto-related financial crimes are on the rise.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The FBI and DOJ say they are committed to dismantling fraudulent operations and recovering stolen assets for victims through continued international cooperation and advanced blockchain tracing techniques.<\/p>\n
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