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<img src = "https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-486317685-800×533.jpg" alt = "(From left to right) Nathaniel Popper and Charlie Shrem attend Tribeca Talks: After The Film: The rise and rise of Bitcoin during the Tribeca Film Festival 2014 at the SVA Theater on April 23, 2014 in New York. "/>
Two of the world's most famous bitcoin investors, the Winklevoss Twins, are suing a long-time Bitcoin personality Charlie Shrem.
Shrem was released from prison in 2016 after being convicted of aiding and abetting an unlicensed money transfer business: the sending of a million dollars in bitcoins resulted in the website of drugs, Silk Road.
According to the new lawsuit – which was filed in a federal court in Manhattan in September 2018 and which was only recently sealed – the Winklevoss Capital Fund (WCF) hired Shrem in late 2012 to buy bitcoins in its entirety. name.
However, WCF alleges that of the $ 250,000 sent to Shrem in the fall of 2012 for this purpose, only $ 189,000 was recorded. The company now claims that Shrem pocketed the difference ($ 61,000) to "buy 5,000 bitcoins for itself".
The investment company is asking for the reimbursement of 5,000 bitcoins, whose current exchange rate is over $ 31.3 million. The case was reported for the first time by The New York Times Friday.
Cameron Winklevoss noticed this error a few months later and sent Shrem an e-mail on February 19, 2013, to provide a very accurate account of how he had spent their money:
"I've been patient and at this point it's getting a bit absurd," he wrote. "I will have no choice but to take steps to get this done if you do not start giving me a firm answer as to when you will finish this job."
It is unclear why Winklevoss waited more than five years later for a lawsuit.
Regardless, citing the analysis of the chain of blocks, WCF said in the trial that the analysis could definitively demonstrate that Shrem had quickly taken these 5,000 bitcoins and transferred them to a wallet address containing the string "1Shrem".
Another file filed notes that:
Shrem has seen an ever-increasing increase in purchases since July of last year, paying over $ 4 million in real estate in Sarasota, Florida, (ii) two Maserati and two motorboats. Most of these assets were acquired in the last six months, including a $ 2.25 million property purchased on July 27, 2018; a $ 370,000 property purchased June 19, 2018; two properties with a combined value of $ 825,000 in March 2018; and a Maserati in July 2018.
Shrem did not respond to Ars's request for comment. His lawyer, Brian Klein, refused to answer Ars's questions.
"The lawsuit falsely claims that about six years ago Charlie hijacked thousands of bitcoins," wrote Klein in a statement. "Nothing could be further from the truth." Charlie plans to defend himself vigorously and quickly erase his name.
Klein, a well-known defense lawyer, is also representing Marcus Hutchins (aka MalwareTech), which is currently being prosecuted in Wisconsin.
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