By Kathleen Ditton, Joe Roetz, Rubén Rosario | WSVN
MIAMI, Florida – A 20-year-old man and his accomplice have been charged with conspiracy to steal and launder greater than $230 million value of cryptocurrency. Federal authorities said the arrests were related to an FBI raid on a Miami mansion.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 20-year-old Malone Lam of Miami and Los Angeles and 21-year-old Jeandiel Serrano of Los Angeles were arrested Wednesday evening.
The federal government's indictment states that the duo, together with others, orchestrated cryptocurrency thefts and laundered the proceeds through exchanges and mixing services.
A user of X, the social media platform formerly often known as Twitter, uncovered the moment Lam allegedly received greater than $230 million in stolen bitcoins from a victim in Washington, DC.
The indictment states that the suspects “used the illegally obtained cryptocurrency to purchase international travel, nightclub services, numerous luxury cars, watches, jewelry and designer handbags, and to pay for rental apartments in Los Angeles and Miami.”
The duo is accused of showing off at parties, including one which was videotaped, and showing off luxury cars and designer handbags.
Lam, a Singaporean national who goes by the web pseudonyms “Anne Hathaway” and “$$$,” and Serrano, who goes by the names “VersaceGod” and “@SkidStar,” are alleged to have accessed victims’ accounts in Washington, DC, in August and transferred cryptocurrencies into their possession, including over 4,100 of the victim’s bitcoins.
But on Wednesday evening, all of it got here to an abrupt end when FBI agents raided a mansion near Northeast 83rd Street and twelfth Avenue, near North Bayshore Drive, south of Miami Shores.
“I thought they were fireworks,” said one resident.
On Thursday evening, FBI officials confirmed that the arrests of Lam and Serrano were related to this raid.
Smoke poured out of the mansion as federal authorities raided the property through the day and investigated into the night.
7News cameras caught federal agents combing every inch of the property.
Miami City Police said they assisted FBI agents in Wednesday's raid.
Neighbors have been wondering what happened, and now there’s a solution.
“We are all leaving at the same time, so it will be peaceful for everyone tonight,” said one resident.
Lam and Serrano were scheduled to look in U.S. district courts in Florida and California on Thursday.
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