The businessman, who ran the Thodex cryptocurrency exchange until its collapse in 2021, was sentenced by a Turkish court to 11,196 years in prison on several criminal charges, including fraud.

Faruk Fatih Ozer’s brother and sister were involved in the business and received the same sentence. The court found the relatives guilty of aggravated fraud, leading a criminal organization and money laundering.

Ozer founded Todex in 2017 and fled Turkey for Albania when Thodex went bankrupt.

“I am smart enough to lead any institution on Earth. This is evident in the company I founded when I was 22 years old. I wouldn’t act so amateurishly if it were a criminal organization,” Ozer proclaimed in court.

The total amount of losses suffered by investors as a result of Thodex’s collapse remains unclear. The prosecutor’s indictment estimates them at 356 million liras ($13 million), but Turkish media report figures reaching $2 billion.

Ozer was extradited to Turkey from Albania earlier this year after a lengthy trial.

Previously, the founder and former CEO of the Thodex exchange received seven months in prison for failure to provide documents to the tax office. The papers were requested during the trial.