This man is a true goon hero

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > This man is a true goon hero

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

https://fortune.com/2023/04/14/bitcoin-thief-james-zhong-sentenced-to-prison/

quote:

A Georgia man who stole more than 50,000 Bitcoin from the Silk Road drug-trafficking site before his cache hit $3.35 billion in value was ordered to serve a year and a day in prison.

Zhong�s lawyers asked the judge to spare him a prison term, saying he came from a dysfunctional family and received no love from his divorced parents, who were Chinese immigrants. He was �severely bullied and victimized by his peers because he was different � he was extremely shy, overweight, and most significantly, suffered from undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder,� Zhong�s lawyers said in court papers. �Having no friends or family he could turn to, Jimmy found solace and friendship in the world of his computer.�

The heist began after Zhong had stored some Bitcoin on Silk Road, the online black market. When he double-clicked the withdrawal button by mistake, he got back twice as much as he put in. Over several days, he deposited more tokens and quickly withdrew them, double-clicking each time. Exploiting that glitch led him to more than 50,000 Bitcoin, each worth about $12 at the time.

Federal agents seized 50,491 Bitcoin from Zhong�s lakefront home in Gainesville, Georgia, along with $661,900 in cash and gold and silver bars. Zhong stored the crypto on devices in a safe under floorboards and on a single-board computer stowed in a Cheetos popcorn tin in a closet. He later surrendered more than 1,000 additional Bitcoin.

He converted some Bitcoin to $700,000 in cash, so he would have a �case full of money like in the movies,� the report said. �He hoped the visual appeal of the cash would impress a female into having sexual relations with him,� the report said. �He stated his plan did not work.�

In 2019, Zhong reported a burglary at his home his Athens, Georgia, saying someone had stolen a silver brief case with $400,000 in cash.

# ? Apr 26, 2023 17:41

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# ? May 9, 2024 14:19

Ringo Roadagain: Mar 27, 2010

what an honest man

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:15

Al!: Apr 2, 2010

going to prison for stealing from drug traffickers lmao

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:18

space chandeliers: Apr 8, 2008

Al! posted:

going to prison for stealing from drug traffickers lmao

Sorry only the US government has that right

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:23

spacemang_spliff: Nov 29, 2014; wide pickle

Free Zhong

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:30

SuperKlaus: Oct 20, 2005; Fun Shoe

Let's see if Jeffrey stops posting for a year and a day

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:32

KirbyKhan: Mar 20, 2009; Can't post for 4 hours!; Soiled Meat

SuperKlaus posted:

Let's see if Jeffrey stops posting for a year and a day

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:35

Koishi Komeiji: Mar 30, 2003

This story shows the entire goon life cycle from start to finish: dysfunctional family, Cheetos, fat, bullied, computer, drugs, bitcoin, can't get laid, jail.

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:36

KirbyKhan: Mar 20, 2009; Can't post for 4 hours!; Soiled Meat

I can tell he started with a briefcase that had $690,000 and just needed to slip a couple bands for petty cash expenses.

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:41

fanfic insert: Nov 4, 2009

Zhong said that while some college friends have stuck by him, the one who�s been most supportive is his dog Chad, who is old and sick.

:qq:

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:47

Hatebag: Jun 17, 2008

quote:

“While the victim in this case happened to be a criminal enterprise, the victim tomorrow could be a legitimate business,” Gardephe said.

Lol

I don't get it though. It says he forfeited $40M or so and some property. Does he get the rest of the dough?

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:48

indigi: Jul 20, 2004; ^{how can we not talk about family

when family's all that we got?}

does he have to give all the money back

e: also love that one of the subheadings is "Solace in Computer"

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:48

Chillgamesh: Jul 29, 2014

Unironically asking what crime did he commit lol

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:48

croup coughfield: Apr 8, 2020; Can't post for 89 days!

Chillgamesh posted:

Unironically asking what crime did he commit lol

you're not allowed to make that kind of money without the proper family connections

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:54

indigi: Jul 20, 2004; ^{how can we not talk about family

when family's all that we got?}

Chillgamesh posted:

Unironically asking what crime did he commit lol

there's no way he paid taxes on any of it

# ? Apr 26, 2023 18:59

Crazypoops: Jul 17, 2017

drat it's the same life path I took just with no money

# ? Apr 26, 2023 19:11

Dreylad: Jun 19, 2001

could be worse, could have been like this kid who became a crypto investor and spent the money he was given by, i'm guessing, drug traffickers and then didn't realize that they might find him?

quote:

Ontario crypto king kidnapped, tortured in an attempt to get millions in ransom, documents say

Ontario�s self-described crypto king was abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.

New documents, obtained by CTV News Toronto, include details of the December incident where Aiden Pleterski was allegedly abducted from downtown Toronto and driven around southern Ontario for about three days.

The nearly 750-page report, released on March 14, also contains the latest findings in a months-long pursuit to trace millions of dollars invested into cryptocurrency and foreign exchange with the 23-year-old before he was petitioned into bankruptcy.

The documents allege Pleterski invested less than two per cent of the more than $40 million handed to him. Instead, he allegedly spent nearly 38 per cent, almost $16 million, on luxury cars, private jets, and elaborate vacations.

�Aiden ran a business in which he told people he would invest their money and that's not what happened,� Rob Stelzer, appointed bankruptcy trustee on the case, told CTV News Toronto. �He really didn't do what he said he was going to do.�

CTV News Toronto made multiple attempts to contact Pleterski�s lawyer but received no response.

THE ALLEGED KIDNAPPING
In early December, Stelzer told CTV News Toronto he was informed by Toronto police that Pleterski had been kidnapped.

�I mean, obviously, he owes a lot of people a lot of money,� Stelzer said.

Transcripts from court examinations with Pleterski�s father and landlord, reviewed by CTV News Toronto, reveal more details about how the alleged kidnapping unfolded.

�He was taken. They basically held him for approximately three days, drove him around different, various parts of southern Ontario, beat him, tortured him, allowed him to make specific phone calls to specific people only. I was not one of those people that he was allowed to contact,� Pleterski�s father told a courtroom in December.

However, one of the people Pleterski was said to have been allowed to call was his landlord, who said in court that Pleterski asked him for $3 million as a ransom payment.

�I received multiple calls from Aiden, but it was late at night � and then at around 1:30 a.m., I finally had enough, and I picked up the call,� his landlord said in court on Feb. 9.

Pleterski said he had no one else to call, according to his landlord. �I said, �There's absolutely nothing that I can do.��

The court heard that, days later, Pleterski was released by the kidnappers near his landlord�s residence. His release was on the condition he came up with the money fast, according to court documents.

There were no further updates on Pleterski�s release included in the bankruptcy report.

A spokesperson for Toronto police told CTV News Toronto they could not confirm any information that would identify a victim or witness in relation to the investigation. Officers did not provide information on the suspected kidnapper or on the status of arrests made in connection to the case.

SPORTS CARS AND PRIVATE JETS
According to court documents, Pleterski told investors he would increase the value of their money, but in actuality, more than 98 per cent of the money he collected was never invested.

Instead, he spent nearly $16 million on extravagant cars, private jets, and elaborate vacations that equated to approximately 38 per cent of the money he raised from investors, according to a banking analysis in the new report.

Pleterski drove more than 10 sports cars, court documents allege. Among the collection, he owned a McLaren Senna, a very rare, limited-production supercar originally purchased for $1.6 million in September 2021.

The latest documents also detail two properties Pleterski allegedly sunk investor funds into � one in Ajax, Ont. worth $5.5 million, supported by a $500,000 deposit, and another in Burlington, Ont. where he put down a deposit totalling $500,000.

In Stelzer�s view, as the bankruptcy trustee, both properties should be sold and the funds should be returned to investors. In the report, he listed reasons to justify this stance, which highlighted these properties were �funded by investor funds whose money was used by Pleterski in an unauthorized manner.�

PARENTS SETTLE
Pleterski�s parents said they believed their son was operating a successful investment business, court documents show.

�I knew when he was in high school, he was playing games upstairs on his computer just like any other teenager,� Pleterski�s father said in his cross-examination in December, detailed in a transcript included in the new report.

�But at some point, you became aware that he was trading in cryptocurrency?� the trustee�s lawyer said.

�At some point, yes,� Pleterski�s father replied.

According to Stelzer�s calculations, Pleterski�s parents allegedly benefited more than $1.1 million from their son�s scheme.

Gary Caplan, the lawyer representing the Pleterski parents, told CTV News Toronto he could not comment on the case because it is currently before the courts. However, Caplan pointed to a settlement agreement that has commenced between the Pleterski parents and the trustee.

In cooperation with the bankruptcy proceedings, the parents have agreed to return two vehicles � an Audi S5 and Volkswagen Atlas � with a market value in excess of $100,000 to the trustee. That goes alongside paying $812,000 on or before June 30.

Meanwhile, Stelzer said he believes there are still more people out there who lost money in Pleterski�s alleged scheme who have yet to come forward.

�We know $41 million came into the account net. We know only $25 million have filed claims. You can do the math,� he said.

�They should reach out � and get the claim filed. The only way they can participate in a dividend is by doing it.�

your call of last resort being your landlord is brutal

# ? Apr 26, 2023 19:13

FreeRangeHexagon: Apr 17, 2022

isn't this the same thing that the guy from the first season of Better Call Saul did where he called to police to say "you have to help me, someone has stolen all my illegal drug money"

# ? Apr 26, 2023 20:21

AnimeIsTrash: Jun 30, 2018

free brother zhong imo

# ? Apr 26, 2023 20:37

bigstupidjellyfish: Oct 25, 2010

I hope the cops didn't find it all

# ? Apr 26, 2023 20:58

ScootsMcSkirt: Oct 29, 2013

fanfic insert posted:

Zhong said that while some college friends have stuck by him, the one who�s been most supportive is his dog Chad, who is old and sick.

goddamn, he really is just like me

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:01

Private Cumshoe: Feb 15, 2019; AAAAAAAGAGHAAHGGAH

is the bitcoin ok :ohdear:

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:01

Buck Wildman: Mar 30, 2010; I am Metango, Galactic Governor

thank god the government was able to step in and save this totally decentralized non-fiat currency

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:03

ScootsMcSkirt: Oct 29, 2013

i love my old and sick dog

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:04

Al!: Apr 2, 2010

Buck Wildman posted:

thank god the government was able to step in and save this totally decentralized non-fiat currency

i wont be happy until he makes the drug traffickers whole

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:04

vyelkin: Jan 2, 2011

Jose posted:

https://fortune.com/2023/04/14/bitcoin-thief-james-zhong-sentenced-to-prison/

He stated his plan did not work

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:05

FreeRangeHexagon: Apr 17, 2022

bigstupidjellyfish posted:

I hope the cops didn't find it all

this is why you diversify your assets*

*bury some of your money in the woods instead of keeping it all in a safe

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:15

tristeham: Jul 31, 2022

Al! posted:

i wont be happy until he makes the drug traffickers whole

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:41

Homeless Friend: Jul 16, 2007

SuperKlaus posted:

Let's see if Jeffrey stops posting for a year and a day

Al! posted:

i wont be happy until he makes the drug traffickers whole

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:51

A Bakers Cousin: Dec 18, 2003; by vyelkin

literally double clicked to wealth and jail

# ? Apr 26, 2023 21:52

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

vyelkin posted:

He stated his plan did not work

classic goon project

# ? Apr 26, 2023 22:34

Filthy Hans: Jun 27, 2008; by Fluffdaddy
(and can't post for 10 years!)

Dreylad posted:

could be worse, could have been like this kid who became a crypto investor and spent the money he was given by, i'm guessing, drug traffickers and then didn't realize that they might find him?

your call of last resort being your landlord is brutal

kidnapping, assaulting and torturing a crypto scammer is a victimless crime

# ? Apr 26, 2023 22:54

Jose: Jul 24, 2007; Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer

Absolutely incredible bug where you just click the button to withdraw more than once and it works

# ? Apr 27, 2023 04:20

Homeless Friend: Jul 16, 2007

you have to be an incredible moron to not move out the country and launder this money and disappear

# ? Apr 27, 2023 04:29

Homeless Friend posted:

you have to be an incredible moron to not move out the country and launder this money and disappear

it says right in the thread title he's a true goon hero

# ? Apr 27, 2023 04:52

Woke Mind Virus: Aug 22, 2005

I agree with the op and also my monitor is off

# ? Apr 27, 2023 05:17

Colonel Cancer: Sep 26, 2015; Tune into the fireplace channel, you absolute buffoon

What's his username

# ? Apr 27, 2023 06:42

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

quote:

�While the victim in this case happened to be a criminal enterprise, the victim tomorrow could be a legitimate business,� Gardephe said.

While the surgeon is cutting open grateful patients today, tomorrow they could be cutting open healthy citizens on the streets.

# ? Apr 29, 2023 22:42

Dreylad: Jun 19, 2001

having actual dupe bugs for money rules

# ? Apr 29, 2023 22:45

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# ? May 9, 2024 14:19

Smythe: Oct 12, 2003

Jose posted:

https://fortune.com/2023/04/14/bitcoin-thief-james-zhong-sentenced-to-prison/

lol

# ? Apr 29, 2023 23:55

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > This man is a true goon hero

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