Afek Zard, a 27-year-old Israeli citizen, was sentenced to eight years in prison for stealing 75,000 DASH from a close friend. The value of the cryptocurrency at the time of the theft was estimated at $ 6 million.
According to a local publication Ynet, cryptocurrency investor Afek Zard was a frequent visitor at his friend’s house. He even had his own key to the victim’s apartment. When the friend was not at home, Zard gained access to his computer and cryptocurrency wallet containing 75,000 DASH. At the time of the theft, the price of the coin was $ 82.5, and now DASH is already trading at $ 176. Thus, the stolen cryptocurrency is now valued at $ 13 million.
During the investigation, the accused refused to admit his guilt and to transfer the passwords from the computer and cell phone to law enforcement agencies, therefore, it was not possible to return the cryptocurrency to the owner. Judge Yoel Eden ruled that Afek Zard was guilty on several charges, including unauthorized access to the victim’s computer, money laundering, fraud and tax evasion.
Initially, prosecutors asked to sentence Zard to twelve years in prison, but the defendant’s lawyer managed to reduce the term. The lawyer said that although the crime was committed with the help of new technologies, theft is still “common and old”:
“It is as if the defendant came to the victim’s house and simply stole several million shekels in cash.”
In addition to imprisonment, the court ordered Shard to pay a fine to the state in the amount of $ 1.5 million and “compensation” to the victim in the amount of $ 80,000.
Crypto Fraud and Asset Recovery (CFAAR) has recently emerged in the UK, founded by lawyers and cryptocurrency experts to help investors recover stolen goods by cryptocurrency scammers.
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