Coinbase impersonator sentenced to 4–12 years for $16M crypto theft

A Brooklyn court sentenced Ronald Spektor, 23, to four to twelve years in prison for posing as a Coinbase representative and draining nearly $16 million from about 100 users. Spektor pleaded guilty to 31 counts, including money laundering and grand larceny, and was ordered to pay $16 million in restitution. The stolen crypto was laundered through exchanges, mixers, gambling sites, and online stores, with investigators linking Spektor’s home IP to multiple drained wallets.