Buckeye Reporter

Federal authorities have filed a civil complaint seeking the forfeiture of cryptocurrency believed to be obtained through an investment scam that targeted two siblings in Trumbull County, Ohio. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio alleges that more than $1 million was lost by the victims in this scheme.

On August 27, 2025, the U.S. government filed a complaint against 325,060 Tether (USDT) tokens, which are digital assets pegged to the U.S. dollar and valued at approximately $325,060. According to court records, the fraudulent activity began in November 2024 when an elderly man from Bristolville received a text message from an unknown sender looking for “Zach.” The man responded and developed an online relationship with someone using the name “Shaw Goddess” on Telegram. She presented herself as a successful investor and encouraged him to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Following her instructions, he opened accounts with Crypto.com and later Strike.com after purchase limits were reached on his initial account. He then wired over $1 million into these cryptocurrency accounts and was told to transfer his assets to what turned out to be a fake investment platform. The victim also persuaded his sister to invest more than $600,000.

When both tried to withdraw funds from the fake platform, they encountered obstacles: he was told his funds were locked, while she was informed she needed to pay a 10% tax upfront before withdrawing money. These incidents raised suspicions for the victims about being defrauded.

Investigators used blockchain analysis—a process where all transactions are publicly recorded and tracked—to follow roughly $200,000 of stolen funds on the Tron blockchain network. It was determined that these assets had been converted into USDT tokens.

On December 31, 2024, Tether Limited froze the subject tokens at the identified address; by March 20, 2025, these tokens were transferred under federal seizure warrant into a law enforcement-controlled wallet.

The government’s complaint seeks not only recovery of losses suffered by these victims but also alleges that excess funds found at this address may be tied to additional fraud or money laundering activities.

“The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only. The United States must prove the claims by a preponderance of evidence,” according to information provided by prosecutors.

If successful in court, officials intend to return recovered assets to those affected by this scam.

The FBI Cleveland Division continues its investigation into this case and similar cryptocurrency-related frauds nationwide. Assistant United States Attorney James L. Morford is handling prosecution efforts for this matter.

Officials encourage anyone aware of elder fraud schemes or who has been victimized themselves to contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or visit IC3.gov for further reporting resources.