District docket · The money law
Crypto & § 1960 Cases in the Western District of Texas
Every federal cryptocurrency and unlicensed-money-transmission prosecution tracked in the Western District of Texas — the federal court serving Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Waco. 19 cases since 2019, with $1.3M in announced forfeitures, each sourced to its original DOJ release.
Justin Ryan Schmidt, a Cayman national who renounced his U.S. citizenship, pleaded guilty to evading payment of more than $1.5 million of federal income tax liabilities
Hambardzum Minasyan was extradited to the U.S. where he faces criminal charges related to his alleged role in an infostealer scheme
Hedge Fund Manager Indicted on Tax Fraud Charges
Feb 24, 2026An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Texas charging a Cayman national who renounced his U.S. citizenship with tax evasion, filing false returns and willfully failing to file tax forms disclosing foreign assets.
Daniel Vincent Attridge, of Cedar Park, was arrested and charged with five counts of wire fraud.
Ukrainian national Mark Sokolovsky was sentenced in Austin to 60 months in federal prison for one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion after he conspired to operate the Raccoon Infostealer as a malware-as-a-service or “MaaS.”
Forfeiture: $24K · Case detail
In a joint disruption effort with EuroJust and other partners, the DOJ unsealed a warrant issued in the Western District of Texas that authorized law enforcement to seize two domains used by RedLine and META for command and control, along with a complaint charging Maxim Rudometov, one of the developers and administrators of RedLine Infostealer.
Mark Sokolovsky, a Ukrainian national extradited to the U.S. in February, pleaded guilty in federal court in Austin to one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion
Forfeiture: $24K · Case detail
SAN ANTONIO – U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas, joined national, state, local, and tribal leaders today in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD).
AUSTIN, Texas – A Ukrainian national was extradited to the United States from the Netherlands after being indicted for crimes related to fraud, money laundering and aggravated identity theft.
24 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $530,000 in restitution to the victims
84 months (7 years) in prison for wire fraud
Trujillo was sentenced to 33 months in prison plus three years of supervised release and ordered to pay approximately $282,000 in restitution. Dounson received a split sentence of two months in prison and five years of probation and was ordered to pay $282,000 in restitution.
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man pleaded guilty in federal court here last week to five counts of wire fraud.
Newly Unsealed Indictment Charges Ukrainian National with International Cybercrime Operation
Oct 25, 2022AUSTIN – A newly unsealed federal grand jury indictment charges Mark Sokolovsky, 26, a Ukrainian national, for his alleged role in an international cybercrime operation known as Raccoon Infostealer, which infected millions of computers around the world with malware.
San Antonio Pair Plead Guilty to SIM Swap Scheme
Oct 12, 2022SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and computer fraud for a scheme utilizing Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) swapping.
In El Paso, the federal grand jury indicted 39-year-old Allan Francisco Castrillo Bastos, a citizen of Costa Rica residing in El Paso, in connection with a scheme to steal over $1 million from dozens of unsuspecting individuals who believed they had won the lottery and had to pay
Forfeiture: $1.2M · Case detail
Federal Grand Jury in Austin Indicts Nigerian Citizen for Victimizing Previous Fraud Victims
Dec 18, 2019A federal grand jury in Austin indicted a Nigerian citizen for masquerading as a representative of the Texas State Securities Board to steal money from victims of a previous fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney John F.
Sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, plus a $14.32 million money judgment and forfeiture of his San Antonio residence, five firearms, approximately $28K in U.S. currency, more than $21K in crypto currency, jewelry valued over $31K, four vehicles including a 2013 Maserati Gran Turismo, and interest in a 'DRNK coffee + tea' franchise.
Forfeiture: $350 · Case detail
70 months in federal prison, $35,000 restitution to seven victims, $10,000 assessment under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, and ten years of supervised release after prison