Attorney General James Uthmeier Announces Historic Crypto Fraud Recovery; Returns Record Funds to Victims

recovered record-breaking $5.4 million in cryptocurrency

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution’s Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit recovered a record-breaking $5.4 million in cryptocurrency.

The case affecting victims in Florida and Massachusetts has made it the largest amount of cryptocurrency ever recovered in a single statewide operation.

This comes on the heels of a record-breaking first quarter, with $3.3 million recovered from cyber criminals.

Since taking office, Attorney General Uthmeier has secured over $800 million in judgments, settlements, and seizures on behalf of Floridians.

“Cyber fraud often targets Florida’s seniors, and our office made it a priority to recover as much money as possible from cyber criminals and return it to victims,” said Uthmeier.

“In a record-breaking partnership with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, our Cyber Fraud Enforcement Unit is setting the standard for cryptocurrency recovery. We are committed to tracking down these criminals and returning funds to their rightful owners.”

Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said, “It truly angers me that there are people in this world who have no problem making victims of citizens in our community.

“Many times, these are senior citizens. Cyber scams and fraud may never go away, but in Marion County and across Florida, we will come after those who choose to commit them. My detectives will keep hunting you down, and the Attorney General’s office will continue to aggressively prosecute these thieves. Cyber scammers have no place in Florida except behind a cell door.”

The victims were targeted in a romance-turned-investment scam, with victims found in six different Florida counties and as far as Massachusetts.

With assistance from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, CFEU successfully recovered all stolen funds, with $700,000 to be returned to Florida victims and $1.3 million to be returned to Massachusetts victims.

One Marion County-based victim, who had a loss of over $450,000, thought the money was gone forever – never even filing a police report—until the Marion County Sheriff’s Office knocked on his door to let him know his money had been located.

The remaining funds that cannot be returned to victims will be used to continue funding CFEU and law enforcement recovery operations.

Uthmeier also announced that the CFEU recovered $3.3 million in cryptocurrency during the first fiscal quarter of 2026. This number accounts for 45% of total recoveries made by CFEU since its inception 2.5 years ago.

CFEU has recovered an all-time total of $7.2 million, with another $12.6 million in frozen crypto assets that are being litigated and returned to victims.

Similar Stories