Brooklyn Man Gets Up to 12 Years for $16M Phishing Theft from Coinbase Users

A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to up to 12 years in prison for a phishing scheme that stole nearly $16 million from about 100 Coinbase users. He impersonated a Coinbase representative to trick victims into moving funds to wallets he controlled. The stolen assets were laundered through exchanges and gambling services.

The sentencing caps a year-long investigation that involved interviews with more than 70 victims across the United States. Spektor entered his guilty plea on September 2, admitting to all 31 counts in the indictment, which included first-degree money laundering, grand larceny, and criminal possession of stolen property. Prosecutors had pushed for a harsher term of seven to 21 years, but the court settled on four to 12 years under the plea arrangement.

Beyond the prison term, the judgment requires Spektor to forfeit cash, cryptocurrency, and personal property valued at over $500,000, alongside restitution of nearly $16 million. Investigators traced stolen funds through multiple cryptocurrency exchanges, swapping services, gambling platforms, and purchases of gift cards and digital assets. They also linked Spektor's home IP address to several wallets connected to the thefts, demonstrating how blockchain records can complement traditional digital forensics in building a case.