Maryland resident faces charges in $50 million Uranium Finance cyber attack following U.S. confiscation of $31 million in cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors assert that Jonathan Spalletta took advantage of vulnerabilities in smart contracts on two occasions in April 2021, laundering funds via Tornado Cash and utilizing the proceeds for rare collectibles.

Key details:

• Federal authorities have charged Jonathan Spalletta, 36, from Rockville, Maryland, with computer fraud and money laundering related to the 2021 breaches that led to the loss of over $50 million from the Uranium Finance decentralized exchange and resulted in its closure.
• The indictment follows the February 2025 seizure of around $31 million in cryptocurrency associated with the exploit, marking the first instance of a named defendant being linked to this longstanding DeFi case.
• Prosecutors claim Spalletta took advantage of Uranium’s rewards system, laundered the funds through intricate cryptocurrency transactions including Tornado Cash, and spent millions on rare collectibles such as a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card, first-edition Pokémon collections, and an ancient Roman coin prior to turning himself in to authorities in Manhattan.

A man from Maryland has been charged with executing the 2021 breaches that resulted in the loss of more than $50 million from the Uranium Finance decentralized exchange, prompting the platform’s closure, as stated by the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday.

Jonathan Spalletta, 36, of Rockville, Maryland, faces one count of computer fraud and one count of money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed by the Southern District of New York. These charges arise following a February 2025 seizure of approximately $31 million in cryptocurrency linked to the exploit, marking the first time a named defendant is connected to this longstanding DeFi case.

The assault on Uranium Finance depleted critical pools associated with BNB, BUSD, and other assets, rendering Uranium unable to continue its operations.

Prosecutors contend that Spalletta initially exploited Uranium’s rewards mechanism on April 8, 2021, draining about $1.4 million before subsequently negotiating what officials describe as a fraudulent “bug bounty” that permitted him to retain approximately $386,000.

He later communicated with an associate, stating, “I carried out a crypto heist … Crypto is merely fictitious internet money anyway,” according to the indictment.

Authorities assert that Spalletta laundered the obtained funds through a series of transactions, including the utilization of the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, before investing the money in high-value collectibles.

These acquisitions, as outlined in the indictment, comprised a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card for around $500,000, 18 sealed Alpha booster packs valued at approximately $1.5 million, first-edition Pokémon collections worth over $1 million, and a Roman “Eid Mar” coin commemorating Julius Caesar’s assassination for about $601,500.

Spalletta turned himself in on Monday and is anticipated to appear before a U.S. magistrate judge in Manhattan.