Utah Man Sentenced to Three Years for Unlicensed Crypto Business and $2.9M Fraud

• A Utah man was sentenced to three years for running an unlicensed cash-to-crypto scheme that defrauded investors of $2.9 million.
• The case shows U.S. authorities are cracking down on crypto fraud at all levels, not just large platforms.

The Investigation done by the Federal Bureau of Investigation into a Utah man named Brian Garry Sewell has resulted in a sentence of three years in U.S. federal prison for running an illegal cash-to-crypto business and defrauding investors of nearly $3 million. 

Unlicensed Crypto Scheme Ends in Prison, Sending Clear Warning to Small-Scale Operators

Sewell ran the crypto business without the permission of the government between 2017 and 2024. He took cash from the people and told them that he would invest in cryptocurrency and promised big profits. He also lied about his skills, education, and experience in crypto trading and collected money from at least 17 people and promised them high profits, which he could not deliver. According to the prosecutors, the total money lost was more than $2.9 million.

The federal court ordered 3 years in prison and over $3.8 million in restitution as payments for the victims and payment to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This case sends a strong signal from U.S. authorities that it doesn’t need to be a big crypto exchange to face the serious charges; even small, regional, informal crypto operators can be prosecuted. They said running the crypto business without a proper license is itself a felony. 

Fraud cases like this hurt the crypto sector, especially the new investors. This could change the market bearish for a short period of time due to people’s fear of more regulation, stricter KYC rules, and increased enforcement. So traders often react to these fraud cases by starting to sell, and the money shifts into Bitcoin and Stablecoins or exits the crypto market temporarily. 

Crypto is maturing, and it does not protect criminals from traditional financial laws. U.S. authorities are applying the same fraud and money laundering rules used in traditional finance, even in the smaller states like Utah. This will be harder but positive in the long term, which cleans up bad actors and makes the crypto world safer, and encourages institutional adoption. 

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