flash on Nostr: ⚡️🚨 NEW - A cybersecurity expert is currently on trial in the United States ...

⚡️🚨 NEW - A cybersecurity expert is currently on trial in the United States for allegedly stealing nearly $55 million in cryptocurrency… before laundering a portion of it through extremely rare Pokémon and Magic cards.

Jonathan Spalletta is accused of hacking Uranium Finance twice in April 2021.

The main attack reportedly exploited a vulnerability in a smart contract to drain 26 liquidity pools and steal approximately $53.3 million.
He has pleaded not guilty, and the charges have yet to be proven at trial.

According to prosecutors, some of the cryptocurrency was then routed through Tornado Cash before being laundered into collectibles.

Among the alleged purchases were a complete first-edition Pokémon Base Set for $750,000, a sealed first-edition Pokémon box for $257,500, a Magic: The Gathering Black Lotus for $500,000, and 18 Alpha booster packs for over $1.5 million.

Authorities also say they seized approximately $31 million in cryptocurrency linked to the case in 2025.

Although chat logs show Spalletta allegedly writing “I did a crypto heist,” his defense argues that the prosecution will not be able to prove who was actually behind the keyboard at the time of the attacks.