SAVANNAH, Ga. — The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia has successfully forfeited and returned about $84,327.50 to a victim of cryptocurrency theft, U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap announced Monday.
The funds were recovered through a civil asset forfeiture action, which involved coordination between the Asset Forfeiture Unit, the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
The theft, which occurred in October 2024, involved $124,000 in unauthorized transactions from a cryptocurrency address owned by a Richmond Hill resident, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Upon discovering the theft, the victim reported the crime to local law enforcement and the FBI. The FBI said agents conducted a thorough investigation and traced the stolen cryptocurrency and identifying involvement of overseas actors, including in Cambodia.
The FBI, working with the Asset Forfeiture Unit, quickly seized the traced cryptocurrency, which was later forfeited through a federal civil case in Savannah. Throughout the investigation and court proceedings, the FBI worked with the victim to return the net proceeds after forfeiture and liquidation.
“The Asset Forfeiture Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in coordination with the FBI and the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, worked diligently to locate, seize, and forfeit these funds, and thereafter, return money to the victim,” Heap said.
Paul Brown, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, stated, “The FBI is committed to pursuing justice for victims of cybercrime, no matter where the trail leads.”
The Internet Crime Complaint Center, run by the FBI, serves as the hub for reporting cybercrime. Victims of cybercrime are encouraged to file detailed complaints at www.ic3.gov.
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