K&R database cleanup: handoff bundle
Self-contained bundle to continue the case-summary enrichment pass (70/256 done). sources/ holds the 364 .txt dossiers; scripts use relative paths. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com> Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_018FJRciSWZc9HftS2edbzBf
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Claude Opus 4.8
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California man gets more than 6 years for role in $250M crypto theft conspiracy
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Building the health care Americans deserve
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Things to do in D.C.
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Fight for thee and liberty: 'Defiant Ones' has the story of Two Kettles Together
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WATCH: The Sitdown With Alex Swoyer
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Sen. Rick Scott on Fauci, voter ID and 2026 Senate odds
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WATCH: Inside the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ and the shifting politics of Latin America
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Michael Shifter joins Guy Taylor
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LISTEN: America’s communist problem
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Michael Lucci joins Bold and Blunt
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By The Washington Times AI News Desk
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Thursday, May 7, 2026
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A 20-year-old California man has been sentenced to 78 months in federal prison for his role in a sprawling social engineering conspiracy that stole well over $250 million in cryptocurrency from victims across the United States, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced.
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Marlon Ferro, of Santa Ana, also known as “GothFerrari,” was sentenced in U.S. District Court before Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who also ordered three years of supervised release and $2.5 million in restitution. Ferro pleaded guilty Oct. 17, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeer influenced and corrupt organization.
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Prosecutors said a multi-year investigation uncovered a sprawling criminal enterprise that defrauded victims of more than $250 million in cryptocurrency between late 2023 and early 2025. Members based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida and abroad filled specialized roles including database hacking, target identification, fraudulent phone calls, money laundering and residential burglary, according to court documents.
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The conspiracy’s operatives typically targeted individuals believed to hold significant cryptocurrency holdings and manipulated victims into surrendering access to their digital wallets. When victims stored funds in hardware wallets — physical devices that cannot be accessed remotely — the enterprise turned to Ferro to steal them outright, prosecutors said.
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In February 2024, Ferro traveled to Winnsboro, Texas, broke into a victim’s home and stole a hardware wallet containing about 100 bitcoin, then valued at more than $5 million, according to court documents. He then laundered the stolen funds through cryptocurrency exchanges.
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In July 2024, Ferro flew to New Mexico, where he surveilled a residence for several days and positioned a cell phone outside the home to monitor the victim’s movements, prosecutors said. When co-conspirators tracking the victim through his iCloud account confirmed he had left, Ferro broke into the home by smashing a window with a brick and searched for the target hardware wallet. He was captured on the home’s surveillance camera.
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Beyond burglary, court documents show Ferro also served as a key money launderer, using fraudulent identification documents obtained from a foreign national to open a digital payment card account on a geo-blocked platform that allowed enterprise members to spend stolen cryptocurrency at retail locations and nightclubs. He purchased more than $255,000 in designer clothing on behalf of co-conspirators using stolen funds.
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After a conspiracy leader was arrested in September 2024, Ferro continued assisting him from the outside — collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, converting it to cash through illicit exchanges and using the proceeds to pay the jailed leader’s attorneys, prosecutors said.
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Ferro was arrested May 13, 2025, and found in possession of two firearms and a fake identification document.
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The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI Washington Field Office and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Washington Field Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Howland and David Liss, with assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart.
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This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
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The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
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Copyright © 2026 The Washington Times, LLC.
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Crypto gang member gets 6.5 years for role in $230 million heist
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A 20-year-old California man was sentenced to 78 months in prison for serving as a home invader and money launderer in a criminal ring that stole over $250 million in cryptocurrency.
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Marlon Ferro (also known online as GothFerrari and Marlo) was arrested on May 13, 2025, carrying two firearms and a fake identification document. He pleaded guilty in October and was also ordered to pay $2.5 million in restitution and serve three years of supervised release.
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According to court documents, the criminal ring targeted individuals believed to hold significant cryptocurrency between late 2023 and early 2025.
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They used social engineering to trick their victims into giving them access to digital wallets, and when victims stored funds in hardware wallets, the conspiracy shifted to Ferro's expertise in residential burglaries.
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"Marlon Ferro served as the criminal enterprise's instrument of last resort. When his co-conspirators couldn't deceive victims into handing over access to their cryptocurrency or hack their way into digital accounts, they turned to Ferro to break into homes and steal hardware wallets outright," said U.S. Attorney Pirro on Wednesday.
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"This scheme blended sophisticated online fraud with old-fashioned burglary to drain victims of millions of dollars in digital assets."
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In February 2024, Ferro traveled to Winnsboro, Texas, broke into a victim's home, stole a hardware wallet containing approximately 100 Bitcoins (then valued at more than $5 million), and laundered the funds through cryptocurrency exchanges.
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In July, the same year, Ferro flew to New Mexico, monitored a victim's home for several days using a cell phone, and broke in by smashing a window with a brick after accomplices tracking the victim's location through his iCloud account confirmed they had left the residence.
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He also opened a fraudulent digital payment card account using fake identification to enable his accomplices to spend stolen funds at nightclubs and retail locations, and to buy more than $255,000 in designer clothing on their behalf.
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Additionally, after one of the criminal ring's leaders was jailed in September 2024, Ferro continued laundering cryptocurrency to fund the leader's legal defense.
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Last month, 22-year-old Evan Tangeman of Newport Beach, California, was also sentenced to 70 months in prison for laundering funds stolen in the same massive cryptocurrency heist.
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In all, fourteen suspects were charged in September 2024 and May 2025 with a RICO conspiracy involving over 4,100 Bitcoin (worth more than $230 million at the time) and laundering the stolen funds through mixing services and crypto exchanges.
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They used the stolen cryptocurrency to finance lavish lifestyles, including private security guards, nightclub outings ranging up to $500,000 per evening, international travel, high-end watches, and designer handbags for their girlfriends.
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The criminal group also rented homes in the Hamptons, Los Angeles, and Miami for $40,000 to $80,000 per month, as well as private jets and a fleet of at least 28 cars valued from $100,000 to $3.8 million.
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Security teams log 54% of successful attacks and alert on just 14%. The rest move through your environment unseen.
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The Picus whitepaper shows how breach and attack simulation tests your SIEM and EDR rules so threats stop slipping by detection.
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Apple sued over fake App Store crypto wallet app stealing $1.8M in Bitcoin
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Hackers steal $23.7 million in crypto from Ostium in off-chain attack
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US charges two over laundering $43 million from investment fraud
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Money launderer accused of stealing seized crypto while in prison
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Ransom Cartel ransomware creator sentenced to 16 years in prison
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Sergiu Gatlan
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Sergiu is a news reporter who has covered the latest cybersecurity and technology developments for over a decade. Email or Twitter DMs for tips.
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Hotel Wi-Fi attacks use custom malware to breach Microsoft 365 accounts
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Massive ChainDrop npm supply-chain attack infects hundreds of packages
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OpenAI, Anthropic AI agents targeted real people and systems in cyber tests
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Spend four hours inside a fully-simulated underground with DARKROOM.
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AI is a data-breach time bomb: Read the new report
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Webinar: Shadow AI in 2026 (and how attackers are taking advantage)
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Explore ESET’s H1 2026 Threat Report to uncover the latest AI, phishing, and ransomware trends.
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Stay one step ahead of new threats in the new year. Join Huntress for the monthly Tradecraft Tuesday.
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Crypto Burglar Known as ‘GothFerrari’ Draws 78-Month Prison Term
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Crypto Burglar Known as ‘GothFerrari’ Draws 78-Month Prison Term
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GothFerrari was sentenced to 78 months for role in a social engineering conspiracy.
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The enterprise tricked victims into surrendering wallets, then sent Ferro to burglarize homes.
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Stolen funds bankrolled $500K nightclub tabs, Birkin bags, and exotic cars worth millions.
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A US judge has sentenced a California man known as GothFerrari to 78 months in prison for his role in a crypto social engineering ring that turned to home burglaries when victims could not be deceived online.
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Marlon Ferro, 20, of Santa Ana, also faces $2.5 million in restitution and three years of supervised release.
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Inside the $250 Million Crypto Theft Ring
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A multi-year federal investigation revealed that the enterprise drained more than $250 million in cryptocurrency from victims between late 2023 and early 2025. Its members operated out of California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and overseas.
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The crew specialized in roles that included database hacking, target identification, fraudulent phone calls, and money laundering. When social engineering failed, the ring sent Ferro to physically steal hardware wallets from victims’ homes.
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“Marlon Ferro served as the criminal enterprise’s instrument of last resort… they turned to Ferro to break into homes and steal hardware wallets outright,” US Attorney Pirro said.
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Brick-Through-Window Crypto Burglaries and Designer Spending
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According to the press release, in February 2024, Ferro broke into a home in Winnsboro, Texas, and stole a hardware wallet. The device held roughly 100 Bitcoin (BTC), then valued at more than $5 million.
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That July, Ferro went to New Mexico and surveilled a residence with a hidden cell phone. He smashed a window with a brick when co-conspirators tracking the victim’s iCloud account signaled the home was empty.
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Beyond burglaries, Ferro laundered funds for the ring. Using fake identification from a foreign national, he opened a geo-blocked payment card account. The setup funneled over $255,000 in designer clothing to co-conspirators.
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Stolen money also bankrolled extravagant spending. Court papers cite nightclub tabs of up to $500,000 per night and Hermès Birkin bags. Private jets and exotic cars valued up to $3.8 million were also part of the haul.
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Authorities arrested Ferro in May 2025 with two firearms in his possession. He pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering-influenced and corrupt organization
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To read the latest cryptocurrency market analysis from BeInCrypto, click here.
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