In the Internet Age, financial crimes and the ensuing criminal investigations and prosecutions rarely remain neatly within one state. Therefore, charges for financial crimes such as wire fraud and money laundering often proceed in federal court. A financial crime can qualify as a federal crime if a co-defendant or a target of the alleged crime lived in a different state from the defendant, and they communicated with each other online about the fraudulent transactions.
Even if the case goes through the federal court, jurisdiction for the case still belongs to the federal court in the state where the alleged crime happened. That means that it is still possible for the courts to request the extradition of defendants to face trial in federal court in the relevant state. The process is similar to international extradition, except that authorities transport defendants between states within the US instead of between countries.
If you got arrested in Texas on suspicion of an alleged financial crime that took place in another state, contact a Texas white collar crime lawyer.
Defendant in Cryptocurrency Fraud Case Arrested in Texas Faces Extradition to Georgia
Part of the allure of cryptocurrency is that so many people know so little about it. Crypto investors pride themselves on being among the first to understand the new technology that is about to transform our lives, in much the way that the few people who had email addresses in the 1990s held their heads high after having been derided as nerds for most of their lives. It is unsurprising, then, that fraudulent schemes inviting people to invest in cryptocurrencies are abundant.
Beginning in 2021, the FBI and other law enforcement agencies began investigating a Georgia-based company that invited people to invest in a cryptocurrency that the company promised would go live soon. Its leaders spared no expense in promoting the cryptocurrency; they even sponsored local sports teams, much as big corporations do. They promised that the cryptocurrency was backed by precious minerals and other assets worth 14 times the entire US economy. The investigators became suspicious when the cryptocurrency failed to materialize even after several years, and eventually, law enforcement became suspicious, too.
In 2025, a court in Georgia issued indictments for several defendants who had played central roles in the enterprise to promote the cryptocurrency. One of the defendants was in Texas when the indictments were issued, and in July 2025, he was arrested in Cypress. The court in Georgia requested his extradition from Texas. Defendants have the right to challenge their extradition, but this defendant has not challenged his and has agreed to face justice in Georgia. Agreeing to be extradited does not entail entering a plea and is not an admission of guilt; he still has the right to plead not guilty and to advance defenses at his trial in Georgia.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC, About Criminal Defense Cases
A Dallas criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges related to cryptocurrency fraud. Contact the Law Office of Patrick J. McLain, PLLC in Dallas, Texas to discuss your case.