02 April 2026 , 18:59
488
0
A Maryland man has been charged with executing the 2021 hacks that drained over $50 million from the decentralized exchange Uranium Finance and led to the platform’s shutdown, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday.
Jonathan Spalletta, 36, of Rockville, Maryland, is facing one count of computer fraud and one count of money laundering, as per an indictment revealed by the Southern District of New York. These charges come after a February 2025 seizure of approximately $31 million in crypto connected to the exploit, marking the first time a named defendant has been linked to a years-old DeFi case.
The attack on Uranium Finance depleted key pools associated with BNB, BUSD, and other assets, rendering Uranium unable to continue its operations.
Prosecutors assert that Spalletta initially exploited Uranium’s rewards mechanism on April 8, 2021, siphoning roughly $1.4 million before subsequently negotiating a so-called "bug bounty" that authorities describe as a sham, allowing him to retain about $386,000.
He later wrote to an associate, "I did a crypto heist … Crypto is all fake internet money anyway," according to the indictment.
Authorities claim Spalletta laundered the proceeds through a series of transactions, including using the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, before using the funds to purchase high-end collectibles.
According to the indictment, those purchases included a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card for about $500,000, 18 sealed Alpha booster packs for approximately $1.5 million, first-edition Pokémon sets valued over $1 million, and a Roman “Eid Mar” coin commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar for around $601,500.
Spalletta surrendered on Monday and is expected to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge in Manhattan.
Editor-in-Chief