DOJ hands 97-month sentence to crypto scammer for $40m Ponzi scheme

Authorities in the United States have sentenced a man to 97 months in prison for his role in defrauding investors out of more than $40 million via a crypto Ponzi scheme.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 57-year-old Dwayne Golden was sentenced on June 27 by U.S. District Judge William F. Kuntz II in Brooklyn federal court. Golden had pleaded guilty in September 2024 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.

Golden, alongside co-defendants Gregory Aggesen, Marquis Egerton (also known as “Mardy Eger”), and William White, operated three fraudulent digital asset firms—EmpowerCoin, ECoinPlus, and Jet-Coin.

Prosecutors said these companies promised guaranteed returns through overseas crypto trading but instead operated as Ponzi schemes, using new investor funds to pay earlier investors or to enrich themselves.

The scheme was active between April and August 2017, and investors were left with substantial losses after the operators shut down the platforms and disappeared with the funds.

Golden and his associates also attempted to obstruct federal investigations by destroying evidence and submitting false information to authorities.

Between 2017 and 2022, Golden, Aggesen, and White allegedly conspired to hinder a Federal Trade Commission probe and a federal grand jury investigation into the fraudulent operations. White reportedly acted on Aggesen’s behalf to provide misleading statements in response to official subpoenas.

Golden was also ordered to forfeit $2.46 million, with additional restitution to be decided later. Co-defendant William White has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, while Aggesen and Egerton are awaiting sentencing. 

Victims have been advised to submit restitution claims to the FBI as part of the ongoing recovery process.

Golden’s sentencing adds to a string of recent crypto-related enforcement actions by the DOJ in June. Earlier this month, the agency moved to seize over $225 million in cryptocurrency linked to pig butchering scams.

In a separate case, the DOJ filed a forfeiture action to seize over $7.7 million in crypto tied to North Korean operatives. Just days later, the agency also charged a Russian national and founder of a crypto payments firm for operating a $500 million money laundering scheme.

U.S. officials have signaled that aggressive enforcement will continue as crypto-related financial crimes are on the rise. 

The FBI and DOJ say they are committed to dismantling fraudulent operations and recovering stolen assets for victims through continued international cooperation and advanced blockchain tracing techniques.