Prosecutors said the social engineering scheme stole more than $250 million in crypto assets, and included direct theft of hardware wallets when fraud or hacking attempts failed.
Marlon Ferro was sentenced to 78 months in prison for his role in a social engineering scheme that prosecutors said stole more than $250 million in crypto assets. Authorities said the operation also involved stealing hardware wallets (physical devices that store private keys) directly when fraud or hacking did not work. One cited incident involved about 100 Bitcoin worth more than $5 million stolen in Texas in February 2024. The court also ordered Ferro to pay $2.5 million in restitution, reflecting the financial harm tied to the case.