Lake County Man Loses Nearly $200K in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Scam
The U.S. government filed a complaint seeking forfeiture of approximately $65,000 in USDC cryptocurrency allegedly linked to a fraud scheme targeting a Lake County, Ohio, victim. The complaint outlines allegations of wire fraud and conspiracy, tracing funds from the victim to a specific Ethereum blockchain address.
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Read with context. Charges and allegations do not establish guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court, and later filings may update this record.
About this document
At a glance
- The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has jurisdiction over the forfeiture action under federal statutes governing civil forfeiture and wire fraud.
- The defendant property is approximately 65,028.09 USDC held at the Ethereum blockchain address 0x6d3ca488b86fcc12f8ce08857ef1bb8b473a9d81.
- The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes targeting victims nationwide, including in Ohio.
- The complaint traces funds from victim J.S. to the defendant USDC address on the Ethereum blockchain.
- The U.S. government requests that the court order the forfeiture of the defendant USDC to the United States.
For more details, keep reading below.
Jurisdiction and Legal Basis for Forfeiture
The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio has jurisdiction over the forfeiture action under federal statutes governing civil forfeiture and wire fraud. The complaint alleges that the defendant USDC constitutes proceeds traceable to wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, violations of 18 U.S.C. Sections 1343 and 1349. The U.S. government asserts that the cryptocurrency is subject to forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. Section 981(a)(1)(C). The court’s jurisdiction is based on acts or omissions occurring in the district, and venue is proper because the action accrued there. The complaint cites Supplemental Rule G(2) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure as the procedural basis for the filing.
Supported by PDF pages 1, 2Description of the Defendant USDC
The defendant property is approximately 65,028.09 USDC held at the Ethereum blockchain address 0x6d3ca488b86fcc12f8ce08857ef1bb8b473a9d81. The U.S. government alleges that these funds were derived from fraudulent activities. On May 20, 2026, a federal seizure warrant was issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge James E. Grimes, Jr., and Circle Internet Financial, LLC, confirmed the blocklisting of the address, preventing further transactions. Circle also confirmed that, should the U.S. prevail in the case, it will transfer the USDC equivalent to the U.S. government upon an order of forfeiture.
Supported by PDF pages 2, 3Background of the Fraud Scheme
The FBI Cleveland Field Office is investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes targeting victims nationwide, including in Ohio. The scheme involves fraudsters contacting victims through misdirected text messages, dating apps, or professional meet-up groups. After gaining trust, fraudsters recommend cryptocurrency investments and direct victims to fake investment platforms. Victims transfer funds to cryptocurrency addresses controlled by the fraudsters, who block withdrawals and provide false excuses to extract more money. The complaint details a specific victim, J.S., who lost nearly $200,000 in the scam. J.S. was deceived by an individual using the name 'Jake Williams,' who convinced J.S. to transfer funds from a retirement account to Coinbase and then to addresses controlled by the fraudsters.
Supported by PDF pages 7, 8, 9, 10Tracing Funds to the Defendant USDC
The complaint traces funds from victim J.S. to the defendant USDC address on the Ethereum blockchain. Between February 6 and February 13, 2026, approximately $103,848 in USDC was transferred from J.S.’s Coinbase account to intermediary addresses, ultimately reaching the defendant address. ADDRESS-1 received funds from J.S. and sent them to ADDRESS-2, which then transferred $10,020 and $90,006 to the defendant address. At the time of blocklisting, the defendant address contained approximately $65,028.09 in USDC, most of which is attributed to J.S. The remaining balance includes small 'dust' receipts from other sources.
Supported by PDF pages 11, 12Conclusion and Request for Forfeiture
The U.S. government requests that the court order the forfeiture of the defendant USDC to the United States. The complaint alleges that the funds are traceable to wire fraud and conspiracy, violations of 18 U.S.C. Sections 1343 and 1349. The identity of the owner(s) of the defendant address remains unknown, and notice of the action will be sent via the Ethereum blockchain to the address. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio, represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney James L. Morford, filed the complaint on November 9, 2026.
Supported by PDF pages 13, 14Document record
- Document type
- Criminal complaint
- Category
- Criminal
- Publication date
- 2026-11-13
- DOJ office
- USAO - Ohio, Northern
- Case number
- Not stated by source
- Collected
- 2026-11-15
- Original filename
- complaint-in-forfeiture.pdf
Source & integrity
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