A former compliance officer at Crypto.com — registered in Malta as Foris Dax MT restricted — has been charged with extortion and cash laundering after he allegedly threatened to show delicate info whereas demanding compensation from the corporate.
Thirty-three-year-old Jose Luis Alonso Melchor was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Nadia Vella in a Malta courtroom on Thursday following his arrest and termination from the Singapore-based crypto trade.
In line with Malta Immediately, Melchor was fired after Crypto.com found he had damaged an attachment order. Melchor then allegedly obtained delicate info from the agency via his compliance officer function and threatened to publish it.
He allegedly instructed his employer that he needed €44,000 ($47,666) in compensation for his job loss.
Melchor faces 9 expenses, together with cash laundering, extortion in his capability as a public servant, extorting cash by threatening to defame a 3rd get together, unauthorized use of his employer’s pc gear, and the taking, tampering, and disclosing of delicate knowledge.
A €2 million ($2.2 million) freezing order was upheld towards Melchor and his bail requests had been denied because the Justice of the Peace deemed him a flight threat.
Crypto.com instructed Protos, “The worker in query was reported to the authorities instantly upon discovery of his actions, and his employment was terminated.
“We continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement and have no further comment as the matter is pending litigation.”
Learn extra: Scoop: EU officers suspect Binance is faking accounts in Eire and Malta
It’s unclear what Melchor’s attachment order pertains to, however it may well contain a choose seizing a defendant’s belongings to make sure any potential financial damages will be paid in full.
Crypto.com, beneath its Malta registration, was fined €2.85 million ($3.1 million) in March this yr by the Dutch Central Financial institution. Crypto.com had didn’t register within the nation for 2 years, breaking cash laundering and terrorism financing legal guidelines.
The trade was additionally made to delist USDT pairs in compliance with Canada’s Ontario Securities Fee rules in January 2023.
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