Cybersecurity Consultant Convicted of Stealing Nearly $55M from Uranium Finance

A New York jury has convicted cybersecurity consultant Jonathan Spalletta of stealing nearly $55 million from the crypto trading platform Uranium Finance, Bloomberg reported via ChainCatcher. Prosecutors said Spalletta executed two attacks in 2021, after which the platform ceased operations. The verdict was reached after more than two hours of jury deliberations. Spalletta faces up to 20 years in prison on money-laundering charges tied to his use of crypto mixing services, including Tornado Cash. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff set sentencing for February 16. Authorities said they seized more than $3 million in rare Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards from Spalletta's Maryland home, along with roughly $31 million in crypto assets. Prosecutors also alleged he spent over $600,000 on a rare ancient Roman coin commemorating the assassination of Julius Caesar, and $137,000 on an original component from the Wright brothers' first aircraft that had been taken to the moon by Armstrong. Spalletta's defense argued he only used publicly available smart-contract functions and did not forge credentials or deploy malicious code, contending that his actions did not constitute hacking.