Author

Topic: Oyster Pearl “Bruno Block” Charged With Multimillion-Dollar Tax Evasion by DOJ (Read 136 times)

hero member
Activity: 2632
Merit: 833
TravelMug, it was and still is a classic way to make a real fortune out of nothing. I'm not surprised that someone wants to make a profit by scam, but I'm surprised by all those people who were then and still today convinced that projects like this have some positive and logical meaning except that a few people get rich.

Yes, classic way and still effective, as scammers are really greedy and will do everything to dupe people and that was really evident and then magnify later in 2017, wherein we saw a lot of projects exit scamming with millions of hard earn money from their investors.

The whole part of the forum that deals with altcoins/tokens is in a gray zone, and I have to admit that I don't feel very well when I know that this forum is used for almost criminal activities without any sanctions.

Sadly, it is, we have been calling this for a long time, but I doubt that our dear Theymos will moderate it.
hero member
Activity: 3010
Merit: 794
Cryptocurrency Founder “Bruno Block” Charged With Multimillion-Dollar Tax Evasion Scheme

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/cryptocurrency-founder-bruno-block-charged-multimillion-dollar-tax-evasion-scheme

I remember Oyster Pearl, one of the most hype as well during the 2017 hype. Unfortunately, for the founder, he mis declared everything, meaning he has every intention to not property pay the tax from the profits he made from his project.

Also worth to mentioned that he did cheat with his own project, minted his own Oyster Pearl. It really show that during 2017, there are already a lot of fraudulent practices behind, even by those who started the project.

Hoping that there would be still more Founders to be found specially to those who really did make or benefited on that 2017 bubble run where even the most shittiest project
can really reach up those 100-1000x multipliers in a short span of time and then eventually die in the end.

I do remember that Oyster pearl and other projects that really did pump out on that year where everyone is almost happy and then when the market crashed then
these fellas had already filled out their pockets.

This is just a must thing to be done where tax evador should really be penalized.
hero member
Activity: 2842
Merit: 772
The whole part of the forum that deals with altcoins/tokens is in a gray zone, and I have to admit that I don't feel very well when I know that this forum is used for almost criminal activities without any sanctions.

And still is up to this day, but the heyday that was 2017 was a very different back then and I would say that the community was really immature that time and that's why this scammers ran rampant here, and I'm not really sure if we have statistics today to see how many have used this forum to promote this scams (ICO, IEO and this whole Defi that we have today).

Yeah, I'm also not comfortable seeing this community being taken advantage by this criminals and they can get away with it. (I myself was a victim of 2 ICO's back then in 2018).
legendary
Activity: 3234
Merit: 5637
Blackjack.fun-Free Raffle-Join&Win $50🎲
TravelMug, it was and still is a classic way to make a real fortune out of nothing. I'm not surprised that someone wants to make a profit by scam, but I'm surprised by all those people who were then and still today convinced that projects like this have some positive and logical meaning except that a few people get rich.

The whole part of the forum that deals with altcoins/tokens is in a gray zone, and I have to admit that I don't feel very well when I know that this forum is used for almost criminal activities without any sanctions.
hero member
Activity: 2632
Merit: 833
@Lucius - As I have said, this is still fresh in my mind, didn't join the bounty but here is the link:BOUNTY] [ICO] 🔵🔵 OYSTER 🔵🔵 Anonymous Storage Generates Revenue for Websites.

Weekly Campaign Rates :
  • Members : $20 per post (in tokens)
  • Full members : $40 per post (in tokens)
  • Senior members : $50 per post (in tokens)
  • Hero members : $60 per post (in tokens)
  • Legendary members : $70 per post (in tokens)

So the rewards is really very attractive that time and it created a lot of hype, until they they people behind dump huge amount of Oyster, around 700k PRL (insider trading) and then said that they are going to delay the airdrop or reward. And then lies after lies to their investors, claiming issue with Kucoin regarding their airdrop. And the rest is history.
legendary
Activity: 3234
Merit: 5637
Blackjack.fun-Free Raffle-Join&Win $50🎲
Oh, one more thing, I find it a bit funny...
Quote
Instead of using his real name,  Amir Bruno Elmaani operated almost exclusively online under the pseudonym “Bruno Block.”
If you try to hide your identity with a pseudonym, don't you usually use a name that is not yours? Even Donald Trump did a better job here.

I've already commented on that, he and others like him aren't very intelligent when it comes to some basic things - but I don't think he even tried to hide from the authorities, because if he did, he would take his millions and go to a country from which extradition was not possible. Instead, he was spending money like a crazy millionaire in a country that can tolerate anything, but tax evasion is a sin without forgiveness.

As for the robberies, these laws are damn stupid in my country also and were so well before the EU.
Don't know who's the moron that wrote this but I hope karma will strike him good.

An example from my country, the owner caught a thief in the act, shouted at him and the thief fled and broke his leg - the state is suing the owner for causing injury, and I guess he should have made him coffee and maybe reward him with 100 EUR Roll Eyes

Despite the fact that there may be honest people in EU politics, every day I am more and more sure that most of them are actually morons whom I would not trust to manage an ordinary chicken coop. What I like about the US is the fact that a thief is a thief, a rapist is a rapist and a pedophile is a pedophile - while the life of a man, his family and property comes first and can be defended in all possible ways.
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 6403
Blackjack.fun
It seems that I did not read the article well enough, because it is still stated that he will be charged with two cases of tax evasion, where the maximum sentence for each case is 5 years in prison. The SEC will also face additional charges against him for failing to register tokens as securities.

Not so sure about the SEC getting involved at this point, I've read again both documents, and seems like they only offer "assistance" whatever that was.
I don't like how this is going at this point and I do hope he will be charged with other stuff also, if they are indeed looking to punish I'm they can even raise the charges to racketeering since he did pay and involve other people in his dealigns and he also planed all the taxes evasion for his partners too.

Oh, one more thing, I find it a bit funny...
Here in the EU, laws protect thieves to the extent that you must not react improperly to someone who, for example, robs your property - because he can sue you in the event that this action causes some kind of injury.

Yeah, things need to change as we're going down a road that leads us to some stupid situations, criminals already have more rights than the victims but things are getting out of hand, even if a criminal is caught on tape threatening to murder you he can (yeah, real case a year ago with one of my friends) ask for the proofs to not be considered in court as the recording was done without him knowing. The world is going crazy!

As for the robberies, these laws are damn stupid in my country also and were so well before the EU.
In self-defense with a robber, you can actually harm him if he attacks you, but if he grabs your jewels or money or something and you chase him and you injure him trying to recover your property while outside your home you're actually committing assault. Don't know who's the moron that wrote this but I hope karma will strike him good.
legendary
Activity: 3234
Merit: 5637
Blackjack.fun-Free Raffle-Join&Win $50🎲
Wow, this is one interesting Twitter account. With the GDPR in the EU, you won't be able to do this, all the fun is ruined.

I have to admit that I was also surprised when I found that Twitter account, and although it says that someone is innocent until proven guilty, somehow it doesn't seem fair to me that someone goes public in this way. Here in the EU, laws protect thieves to the extent that you must not react improperly to someone who, for example, robs your property - because he can sue you in the event that this action causes some kind of injury.

S, reading the charges, he will be convicted only of tax evasion in this case, if he reaches a deal he is off the hook and can still enjoy what will be left of his money, he isn't charged with the scam he has committed, damn it, and the worst part is that he will probably never will!

It seems that I did not read the article well enough, because it is still stated that he will be charged with two cases of tax evasion, where the maximum sentence for each case is 5 years in prison. The SEC will also face additional charges against him for failing to register tokens as securities.

Btw, reading those threads now, wonder what happened to all the guys that were defending the scam, I checked three of the most active shills and they have all gone silent last year.

They have nothing more to defend, as in the case of most scams, silence speaks more than a thousand words.
hero member
Activity: 1806
Merit: 672
One of the reasons why people should try to avoid that is everything being hyped up in the crypto industry because most of it is just noise and false claims. I think people should set this as an example that not everything they see or more particular not every project they see is worth looking for since right now there are more and more projects being launch but the utility of it isn't really that relevant at all. For criminals who think that the crypto industry is still a place for stealing money than think again since the authorities are moving in fast and trying to make it more and more regulated.
legendary
Activity: 2912
Merit: 6403
Blackjack.fun
For those who want to know what this scammer looks like -> https://twitter.com/WVMugshots/status/1336785942506426368

Wow, this is one interesting Twitter account. With the GDPR in the EU, you won't be able to do this, all the fun is ruined.
Wonder if any of those listed there have had their pictures stolen and used as a "team member" for some scammy ICO Grin

And in order to do that, you don't need to be a genius, which was proven in this case when this idiot didn't pay taxes, and if he did, he could probably still enjoy the fruits of his innovation today.

So, reading the charges, he will be convicted only of tax evasion in this case, if he reaches a deal he is off the hook and can still enjoy what will be left of his money, he isn't charged with the scam he has committed, damn it, and the worst part is that he will probably never will! Let's just hope that the moron committed some more illegal stuff that would lead to another case and add another sentence as this is far too little for him, especially if he manages to keep his money. Sooo frustrating... Cry

Btw, reading those threads now, wonder what happened to all the guys that were defending the scam, I checked three of the most active shills and they have all gone silent last year.

legendary
Activity: 3234
Merit: 5637
Blackjack.fun-Free Raffle-Join&Win $50🎲
I think this is the first time I've heard of this coin, which is just one in a series of stories about how it is very easy to fool naive people, not for small money, but for millions. And in order to do that, you don't need to be a genius, which was proven in this case when this idiot didn't pay taxes, and if he did, he could probably still enjoy the fruits of his innovation today.

I have not found any information about the punishment he is facing, but it is evident that he has lived a very luxurious life in recent years.

“ELMAANI dealt substantially in precious metals, kept gold bars in a safe on a yacht he owned, and used large amounts of cash to pay personal expenses.”

In 2018, it added, he spent more that “$10 million for the purchase of multiple yachts, $1.6 million at a carbon fiber composite company, hundreds of thousands of dollars at a home improvement store, and over $700,000 for the purchase of two homes”

For those who want to know what this scammer looks like -> https://twitter.com/WVMugshots/status/1336785942506426368
hero member
Activity: 2632
Merit: 833
Cryptocurrency Founder “Bruno Block” Charged With Multimillion-Dollar Tax Evasion Scheme

Quote
Audrey Strauss, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Kelly R. Jackson, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington, D.C., Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division (“IRS-CI”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment in Manhattan federal court charging AMIR BRUNO ELMAANI, a/k/a “Bruno Block,” the founder of the cryptocurrency “Oyster Pearl,” with tax evasion.  As alleged, ELMAANI made millions of dollars from the sale of a new cryptocurrency but evaded reporting that income to the IRS, including by filing a false tax return, operating his business and owning assets through pseudonyms and shell companies, obtaining income through nominees, and dealing in gold and cash.  ELMAANI was arrested this morning in Martinsburg, West Virginia, and will be presented later today before United States Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble in the Northern District of West Virginia.   The case is assigned to Chief United States District Judge Colleen McMahon in the Southern District of New York.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/cryptocurrency-founder-bruno-block-charged-multimillion-dollar-tax-evasion-scheme

I remember Oyster Pearl, one of the most hype as well during the 2017 hype. Unfortunately, for the founder, he mis declared everything, meaning he has every intention to not property pay the tax from the profits he made from his project.

Also worth to mentioned that he did cheat with his own project, minted his own Oyster Pearl. It really show that during 2017, there are already a lot of fraudulent practices behind, even by those who started the project.
Jump to: