Evan Tangeman, 22, from Newport Beach, California, has pleaded guilty to his involvement in a conspiracy that used social engineering tactics to steal hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency across the United States. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Tangeman is the ninth individual to plead guilty in this case. He admitted before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly that he laundered at least $3.5 million for the group involved in the scheme. Sentencing is scheduled for April 24, 2026.
The court also unsealed a Second Superseding Indictment charging three more individuals—Nicholas Dellecave (also known as “Nic” and “Souja”), Mustafa Ibrahim (“Krust”), and Danish Zulfiqar (“Danny” and “Meech”)—with RICO conspiracy alongside other defendants. Dellecave was arrested in Miami on December 3, 2025, while Zulfiqar and Ibrahim were recently apprehended in Dubai on related charges.
According to the indictment, the criminal enterprise began operating no later than October 2023 and continued through at least May 2025. The group originated from relationships formed on online gaming platforms and included members based in several states including California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, as well as abroad.
Tangeman’s role within the organization was primarily money laundering; other members specialized in database hacking, organizing operations, identifying targets, making fraudulent calls, and burglarizing residences to access hardware virtual currency wallets.
Court documents reveal that stolen databases were used to identify victims whose cryptocurrency was then taken by the group. The proceeds funded purchases such as nightclub services costing up to $500,000 per night; luxury handbags given away at parties; watches valued between $100,000 and $500,000; high-end clothing; rental homes in cities like Los Angeles and Miami as well as locations like the Hamptons; private jet rentals; private security teams; and a collection of at least 28 exotic cars worth between $100,000 and $3.8 million each.
The Second Superseding Indictment details an incident on August 18, 2024: co-conspirators Malone Lam and Danish Zulfiqar contacted a victim located in Washington D.C., fraudulently obtaining over 4,100 Bitcoin—worth about $263 million at that time (and more than $368 million this week).
Tangeman first met some group members in late 2023 when they moved to Los Angeles seeking help with securing rental properties using stolen cryptocurrency funds. He exchanged these funds for cash through bulk-cash converters to pay for rentals priced between $40,000–$80,000 per month while using false names on leases to hide ownership. He arranged similar transactions for homes rented by the group in Miami. After stealing from a D.C.-based victim in August 2024,Tangeman helped convert approximately $3 million into fiat currency for one such rental home.
Following Lam’s arrest by authorities in Miami on September 18th of last year,Tangeman accessed home security systems remotely,taking screenshots of FBI agents searching residences,and instructed another member of the enterprise to retrieve digital devices from Lam’s Los Angeles property so they could be destroyed.
The investigation is being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia along with assistance from FBI field offices (Washington,D.C.,Los Angeles,and Miami)and IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C.Field Office.Other supporting agencies include United States Attorney’s Offices from Central District of California,Southern District of Florida,and District of New Jersey.
Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Rosenberg,C0-Chief,Fraud Public Corruption,and Civil Rights Section,U.S.Attorney’s Office for District Columbia,is prosecuting this matter.
