A 22-year-old defendant, Evan Tangeman, pleaded guilty for his role in a multi‑state social‑engineering enterprise that stole roughly $263 million in cryptocurrency from U.S. victims. The plea says Tangeman helped launder at least $3.5 million, and a superseding indictment unsealed additional defendants and RICO-related charges.

Evan Tangeman, 22, pleaded guilty in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia for participating in a broad social‑engineering operation that defrauded victims of approximately $263 million in cryptocurrency. According to the plea, Tangeman served as a money launderer for the enterprise, converting and moving at least $3.5 million on behalf of the group through a series of cryptocurrency wallets and intermediary accounts. The case has expanded: a second superseding indictment unsealed additional defendants and added charges tied to racketeering (RICO) and coordinated cross‑jurisdictional criminal activity. Prosecutors say the scheme used impersonation, fraudulent account access, and layered transfers to conceal proceeds and to frustrate victim recovery. The Department of Justice emphasized collaboration with state and federal partners and ongoing investigative work to identify additional participants, recover assets where possible, and mitigate the illicit use of digital currency platforms. Sentencing, restitution processes, and the continued identification of conspirators were noted as active elements of the prosecution.