Former lead maintainer of Monero Riccardo Spagni, aka Fluffypony, has been arrested within the U.S. and is now ready for his extradition to South Africa the place he’ll stand trial for fraud. Spagni described the case as “an previous matter, which I’ve repeatedly been making an attempt to resolve since 2011.”
Fluffypony Arrested, Ready for Extradition to South Africa
The U.S. authorities filed a Memorandum of Extradition Regulation and Request for Detention Pending Extradition Proceedings for Riccardo Paolo Spagni with a district court docket in Tennessee on July 21.
Spagni, also called Fluffypony, was previously a Monero lead maintainer. The court docket doc states that “Spagni is believed to have important cryptocurrency property that may allow him to flee.”
The U.S. is “executing its treaty obligations and appearing on the request of the federal government of South Africa,” the submitting particulars, including that the South African authorities seeks his “provisional arrest with a view towards his extradition to face trial for fraud.” On July 20, the district court docket issued a warrant to arrest Spagni for the offense dedicated in South Africa.
In accordance with the court docket doc, whereas employed by Cape Cookies CC from Oct. 1, 2009, to June 8, 2011, as its IT Supervisor, “Spagni knowingly used false data to manufacture” invoices purporting to be from a provider known as Ensync and three different non-existent firms.
He “inflated the costs for the products and/or providers” on every bill and changed the provider’s financial institution data along with his personal. The court docket doc particulars:
In counting on Spagni’s misrepresentations, Cape Cookies paid every bill by way of digital funds switch into financial institution accounts Spagni managed.
The proof signifies that he “acquired 1,453,561.47 South African Rand, or roughly $99,185, on account of his efforts to defraud Cape Cookies,” the submitting notes.
Spagni was charged within the Western Cape Regional Court docket, Cape City, for fraud and different prices however he pleaded not responsible to them.
Nevertheless, Spagni failed to look in court docket for his trial. In making an attempt to find him, South African authorities discovered that he had fled the nation. The Justice of the Peace Court docket of the District of Cape City, South Africa, proceeded to subject an arrest warrant for him on April 19, 2021.
Spagni issued a press release Monday:
Sadly, because of a misunderstanding as regards to the setting of court docket dates in an previous matter, which I’ve repeatedly been making an attempt to resolve since 2011, I’ve been held in contempt of court docket and at present awaiting extradition.
His legal professional at Duncan Okes Inc. additionally issued a statement concerning the case: “In our view, and opposite to accepted follow and process and given the circumstances, the difficulty of the warrant of arrest was irregular and unwarranted.”
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