U.S. man faces 30-year sentence in uranium finance hack involving $54 million

ChainCatcher report: U.S. prosecutors have charged Jonathan Spalletta, a man from Maryland, with multiple attacks on the decentralized exchange Uranium Finance beginning in 2021, involving approximately $54 million in losses. He has now been formally indicted. According to the indictment released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Spalletta faces charges of computer fraud and money laundering, with maximum penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison respectively, totaling a maximum sentence of 30 years. Prosecutors allege that Spalletta manipulated smart contract transaction processes to fabricate false profits, illegally withdrawing funds exceeding his entitlement, ultimately causing severe damage and the collapse of the exchange. Additionally, investigations revealed that he used part of the illicit proceeds to purchase collectibles, including a piece of fabric from the Wright brothers’ aircraft that was taken to the Moon by astronaut Neil Armstrong during the Apollo 11 mission. Prosecutors emphasized that crypto assets are equally protected under the law: “The claim that ‘cryptocurrencies are merely virtual assets’ cannot serve as an excuse for theft.”