Colorado Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison for Stealing $2.1 Million of Cryptocurrency

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Adam Davis, 47, originally from Coatesville, PA, and now residing in Colorado, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone to 33 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and more than $2.1 million in restitution for his theft of cryptocurrency from a Bucks County victim.

On January 25, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.

From January 2014 to May 2021, a Bucks County victim invested approximately $395,000 in cryptocurrency. She hired the defendant to assist her with these investments and gave him direct access to her digital wallets. As the value of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies increased, Davis began stealing the victim’s cryptocurrency. He transferred the stolen funds through numerous cryptocurrency addresses under his control, using peel chains and other tactics in an attempt to hide his theft. While the stolen funds were valued at approximately $2.1 million at the time of his theft, they reached a high of over $8 million in 2021, when the victim discovered the theft. By that point, the defendant had already cashed out most of the stolen cryptocurrency and spent those funds on his own living expenses and a business endeavor.

“Whether we’re talking cryptocurrency or cold hard cash, stealing money that doesn’t belong to you is a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Adam Davis took advantage of someone who’d turned to him for guidance, stringing the victim along as he drained assets from her accounts. My office and the Secret Service won’t hesitate to hold cybercriminals accountable for the laws they’ve broken and the harm they’ve caused their victims.”

“Mr. Davis earned the victim’s trust in order to steal millions,” said Michael Centrella, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Philadelphia Field Office. “The U.S. Secret Service will continue to investigate crimes involving the theft of cryptocurrency and work to hold individuals, like Mr. Davis, responsible for their actions.”

The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe. United States Secret Service analysts played a significant role in this case.