A Maryland man has been charged with finishing up the 2021 hacks that drained greater than $50 million from decentralized change Uranium Finance and compelled the platform to close down, the U.S. Division of Justice mentioned Monday.
Jonathan Spalletta, 36, of Rockville, Maryland, faces one rely of laptop fraud and one rely of cash laundering, based on an indictment unsealed by the Southern District of New York. The fees observe a February 2025 seizure of roughly $31 million in crypto tied to the exploit, linking a years-old DeFi case to a named defendant for the primary time.
The assault on Uranium Finance emptied key swimming pools tied to BNB, BUSD and different property and left Uranium unable to proceed working.
Prosecutors allege Spalletta first exploited Uranium’s rewards mechanism on April 8, 2021, draining roughly $1.4 million earlier than later negotiating what authorities describe as a sham “bug bounty” that allowed him to maintain about $386,000.
He later wrote to an affiliate, “I did a crypto heist … Crypto is all faux web cash anyway,” based on the indictment.
Authorities allege Spalletta laundered the proceeds via a collection of transactions, together with using crypto mixer Twister Money, earlier than spending the funds on high-end collectibles.
These purchases, based on the indictment, included a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card for about $500,000, 18 sealed Alpha booster packs for roughly $1.5 million, first-edition Pokémon units price over $1 million and a Roman “Eid Mar” coin commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar for about $601,500.
Spalletta surrendered Monday and is predicted to look earlier than a U.S. Justice of the Peace decide in Manhattan.