Prosecutors of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office have sent an indictment to the court against a local resident, who is accused of fraud in particularly large amounts (part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the investigation, the man presented himself as a successful crypto trader and offered wealthy acquaintances to invest money supposedly in cryptocurrency trading on international exchanges. To enhance his credibility, he rented an office and guaranteed a fixed percentage of the investments, referring to the existence of a special "fund".

At the initial stage, he paid clients 15% monthly, creating the appearance of stability and profitability. Subsequently, the payments stopped, and the funds attracted by the accused were converted into cryptocurrency and used at his discretion.

The scheme operated for over a year, with at least four victims known. The total amount of damages exceeds 40 million UAH.

During the searches, law enforcement seized computer equipment, information carriers, mobile phones, handwritten notes, and cash.

At the prosecutor's request, the accused is in custody, and his property has been seized.

The pre-trial investigation was conducted by investigators of the Main Investigation Department of the National Police in the Odesa region with operational support from the Cybercrime Prevention Department of the National Police of Ukraine under the procedural guidance of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

Note: according to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime until their guilt is proven in a lawful manner and confirmed by a guilty verdict of the court.