CEO of Digital Asset Company SafeMoon Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Crypto-Fraud Scheme

hat tip to Stephen "Coffeezilla" Findeisen

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Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York

CEO of Digital Asset Company SafeMoon Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Crypto-Fraud Scheme

Tuesday, February 10, 2026
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For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York

Braden John Karony Stole Millions of Dollars of Investor Assets to Fund Lavish Lifestyle

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Braden John Karony, the Chief Executive Officer of SafeMoon US LLC, a digital asset company registered in Utah (SafeMoon) was sentenced by United States District Judge Eric Komitee to 100 months in prison for conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with a scheme to defraud investors in a decentralized finance digital asset called “SafeMoon.” As part of the sentence, Karony was ordered to forfeit approximately $7.5 million. The amount of restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date. Karony was convicted by a federal jury following a three-week trial in May 2025. The jury also issued a verdict to forfeit two residential properties.

Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York); and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the sentence.

“Karony lied to investors from all walks of life—including military veterans and hard working-Americans—and defrauded thousands of victims in order to buy mansions, sports cars, and custom trucks,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence demonstrates that there are significant consequences for financial crimes. Our Office will continue to vigorously prosecute economic crimes that harm investors and weaken societal trust in the stability and security of digital asset markets.”

Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its work on the case.

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Read more: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/ceo-digital-asset-company-safemoon-sentenced-100-months-prison-multi-million-dollar