A Miami man accused of running a fraudulent cryptocurrency and stock investment scheme was arrested in Colorado after several victims reported losing hundreds of thousands of dollars in the alleged scam. Ryan Crawford, also known as “Brody,” presented himself as a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and creator of a new crypto coin called “Cheetah,” which he claimed would make investors rich. Crawford proclaimed in a video posted on December 5, 2021, “We are about to take over the world.”
However, victims who spoke to NBC 6 Investigators, including Alberto Rivera and four others, said that Crawford was nothing more than a scam artist who made them believe they would make money from their investments, but his promises never paid off. The victims shared their experiences, detailing losses ranging from $75,000 to $130,000.
The Department of Justice states that Crawford posed as a successfully licensed stockbroker and tricked people into investing at least $800,000 worth of cash and cryptocurrency. Instead of generating the promised exponential returns, Crawford allegedly diverted investors’ funds for personal use, such as luxury rental cars and gambling at casinos. One victim, Dorian Godfrey, called the scheme “disgusting,” adding that “it’s theft. It’s very, very evil.”
Following reports from victims like Alberto Rivera, local and federal law enforcement agencies, including the Miami-Dade Police Department and the FBI, launched an investigation, leading to Crawford’s arrest in Colorado. He now faces eight counts of wire fraud and awaits a federal trial.
In 2022, Crawford texted NBC 6, defending himself by saying, “Never invest what you’re not willing to lose … I built the most bad— trading platform and was going to launch it … and then I got accused of it being a Ponzi scheme and a few of my investors sold all their coins and took all the liquidity.”
In addition to the criminal case, Crawford has lost two civil suits for paying investors with fraudulent checks, though the investors have not yet recovered their money. Silka Gonzalez, the president of Enterprise Risk Management, advises people to be educated when getting into crypto investments.
Last year, cybersecurity experts at Enterprise Risk Management used the same software employed by law enforcement to trace the cryptocurrency sent to Crawford’s account. They discovered that the funds were transferred to an offshore crypto exchange beyond U.S. jurisdiction, making it challenging for victims to recover their investments.
While there is a small chance that victims will recover their funds, they are relieved that Crawford’s arrest prevents further victimization. Alberto Rivera expressed satisfaction with the arrest, stating, “The biggest (reason) why it makes me feel good is because at least I know that he’s not going to be victimizing anyone else.”
If found guilty, Crawford could face a maximum of 20 years in prison for each charge, potentially putting an end to his fraudulent activities and providing some closure to the victims who lost their hard-earned money in the deceptive scheme.
