Brothers Anton and James Peraire-Bueno from New York and Boston have been charged with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, accused of stealing approximately $25 million in cryptocurrency from the Ethereum blockchain. The indictment alleges that they spent months planning their scheme, targeting specific victim traders on the digital platform and exploiting the “validators” on the blockchain to gain access to pending transactions and alter them to obtain cryptocurrency. The brothers, who studied math and computer science at a prestigious university, were able to execute their plan in just 12 seconds, resulting in significant financial gains.
The Peraire-Bueno brothers allegedly began laying the groundwork for their scheme in December 2022 by engaging in a “baiting” operation that targeted specific victims on the Ethereum platform. They were able to fraudulently gain access to pending private transactions and manipulate them to obtain cryptocurrency. The plot reportedly took months to plan but was executed in a matter of seconds, resulting in approximately $25 million being stolen from unsuspecting victims. The brothers are also accused of laundering their ill-gotten gains through shell companies from April to June of the following year.
The brothers were arrested and are expected to make their initial appearances in New York and Boston federal courts. Despite repeated requests from a victim, the victim’s attorney, and an Ethereum representative to return the stolen cryptocurrency, the Peraire-Buenos allegedly refused. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco stated that the Justice Department will continue to target fraud within cryptocurrency markets, support victims, and restore confidence in these markets. The attorneys representing the brothers were not immediately identified.
Anton and James Peraire-Bueno are alleged to have used their knowledge of math and computer science, gained from their education at a prestigious university, to carry out a sophisticated scheme to steal cryptocurrency from the Ethereum blockchain. By targeting specific victim traders and manipulating transactions on the blockchain, the brothers were able to fraudulently access and alter pending private transactions, resulting in a substantial financial gain. Despite the complexity of their plan, they were able to execute it in a matter of seconds.
The Peraire-Bueno brothers are facing charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with prosecutors accusing them of stealing approximately $25 million in cryptocurrency. Following their arrest, they are expected to appear in federal courts in New York and Boston. Despite requests from victims and Ethereum representatives to return the stolen cryptocurrency, the brothers allegedly laundered their money through shell companies. Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to targeting fraud in cryptocurrency markets, supporting victims, and restoring confidence in these evolving financial systems. The attorneys representing the brothers have not been identified at this time.
