Malta Court Charges Former Crypto.com Officer with Extortion

A former compliance officer at Crypto.com, registered in Malta as Foris Dax MT Limited, faces serious charges of extortion and money laundering.

Jose Luis Alonso Melchor was arraigned in a Malta court after allegedly threatening to expose sensitive information unless he received €44,000 ($47,666) in compensation following his termination from the Singapore-based crypto exchange.

Melchor, who held a role that allowed access to sensitive data, reportedly violated an attachment order and unlawfully accessed company information.

He faces multiple charges, including extortion, money laundering, unauthorized use of computer equipment, and unauthorized disclosure of sensitive data. A freezing order of €2 million ($2.2 million) has been imposed on Melchor due to flight risk concerns.

Crypto.com promptly reported Melchor’s actions to authorities upon discovery and terminated his employment. The company continues to cooperate with law enforcement on the matter, refraining from further comment as the legal proceedings unfold.

Previously, Crypto.com under its Maltese registration faced regulatory penalties, including a €2.85 million ($3.1 million) fine from the Dutch Central Bank for failure to comply with money laundering laws.