A 45-year-old man, Olumide Osunkoya, has admitted to unlawfully managing a network of cryptocurrency ATMs, making it the first conviction of its kind in the U.K., as announced by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on Monday.
During a court session at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Osunkoya pleaded guilty to five charges.
The FCA had previously charged him for operating crypto ATMs that facilitated £2.6 million (approximately $3.4 million) in transactions across multiple locations without the necessary registration.
According to the FCA, evidence presented in court indicated that individuals potentially engaged in money laundering or tax evasion were using Osunkoya’s machines.
A sentencing date will be confirmed by Southwark Crown Court.
The FCA has been actively targeting illegal crypto ATMs, conducting raids in Exeter, Nottingham, and Sheffield in May last year, and completing 34 inspections by the end of 2023.
A U.S. court has handed down a 30-year prison sentence to Mohammed Azharuddin Chhipa, who was found guilty of financing terrorism through cryptocurrency.
A major chapter in crypto’s legal reckoning closed this week as Alex Mashinsky, once a prominent name in digital lending, received a 12-year prison sentence.
Former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky is asking for a significantly reduced prison sentence ahead of his May 8 sentencing, with his legal team pushing back hard against the U.S. Department of Justice’s call for a 20-year term.
The legal battle against the creators of Samourai Wallet has taken a sharp turn, as defense attorneys accuse federal prosecutors of suppressing a key legal interpretation from the Treasury Department that could dismantle the core of the government’s case.