Illegal Activity
concerning
Blackmail
possible
Date
2019-01-16
Document Type
legal filing
Model
gemini-2.0-flash-001
Processed
2026-02-07T18:44
Summary
This document contains a grand jury subpoena issued to Iterative Capital / Iterative OTC LLC related to a criminal investigation into a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme involving Volantis Escrow Platform LLC and Volantis Market Making LLC. A non-disclosure order was also issued to prevent Iterative from notifying anyone about the subpoena, highlighting concerns about the target subjects fleeing prosecution or tampering with evidence.
Metadata
- Subject
- Grand Jury Subpoena and Non-Disclosure Order
- Sender
- GEOFFREY S. BERMAN, United States Attorney
- Recipients
- Iterative Capital / Iterative OTC LLC, Robert H. Heitz Jr., Esq., Akin Gump LLP
- Document ID
- USAO Reference No. 2018R01689
- Date
- 2019-01-16
Illegal Activity
- Severity
- concerning
- Description
- The document describes a fraudulent scheme involving cryptocurrency transactions, which constitutes evidence of potential illegal activity. The investigation is ongoing.
- Categories
- FraudMoney Laundering (potential)Obstruction of Justice (potential)
- Content Type
- first_hand
Evidence:
- The Government is investigating possible violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349, among other charges (the "Subject Offenses"). Specifically, the Government is investigating a fraudulent scheme in which J. Barry Thompson ("Thompson") and/or individuals associated with Volantis Escrow Platform LLC and/or Volantis Market Marking LLC ("Volantis"), among others (together, the "Target Subjects") obtained millions of dollars from Iterative by promising to provide cryptocurrency to Iterative in exchange for fiat currency.
Blackmail Indicators
- Likelihood
- possible
- Description
- The non-disclosure order, while legally obtained, could be seen as a form of pressure to ensure Iterative's cooperation and silence regarding the investigation.
Relationships 2
| Entity 1 | Relationship | Entity 2 | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iterative Capital / Iterative OTC LLC | business | Volantis Escrow Platform LLC and Volantis Market Making LLC | Iterative Capital / Iterative OTC LLC had an arbitration proceeding against Volantis Escrow Platform LLC and Volantis Market Making LLC |
| Drew Skinner | employment | Geoffrey S. Berman | Drew Skinner is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Office of Geoffrey S. Berman |
Notable Quotes 3
Pursuant to the accompanying non-disclosure order issued under 28 U.S.C. § 1651, you are prohibited from notifying anyone of the existence of this subpoena for a period of one year from the date of the order.
The Target Subjects are believed to have the financial means that would facilitate their flight from prosecution.
the proper functioning of our grand jury system depends upon the secrecy of grand jury proceedings.
Red Flags 3
- Fraudulent cryptocurrency transactions
- Efforts to prevent disclosure of the grand jury subpoena
- Concerns about the Target Subjects fleeing prosecution or tampering with evidence
Financial Information
Amounts:millions of dollarsmillions of dollars' worth of cryptocurrency
Assets:
- cryptocurrency
- fiat currency
Transactions:
- fraudulent scheme in which J. Barry Thompson and/or individuals associated with Volantis Escrow Platform LLC and/or Volantis Market Marking LLC obtained millions of dollars from Iterative by promising to provide cryptocurrency to Iterative in exchange for fiat currency
- similar, apparently fraudulent transaction that occurred in or about July 2018, in which the Target Subjects obtained millions of dollars in fiat currency from another entity on the promise of delivering cryptocurrency
Public Knowledge
- Context
- The document details a criminal investigation into cryptocurrency fraud, which would likely be of interest to the media.
- Media Worthy
- Yes
Legal Compliance
- Possible violations of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349 (fraud)
- Grand Jury Subpoena
- Non-Disclosure Order pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a)
Raw Analysis JSON
click to expand
Themes
Financial transactions/money flowLegal matters/litigationIllegal activities
Organizations 10
U.S. Department of JusticeUnited States AttorneySouthern District of New YorkIterative CapitalIterative OTC LLCAkin Gump LLPVolantis Escrow Platform LLCVolantis Market Making LLCUnited States District Court for the District of ColumbiaU.S. Marshals Serv.
Locations 6
New YorkNew JerseyBorough of ManhattanCity of New YorkSouthern District of New YorkUnited States Courthouse, 40 Foley Square, Room 220
Text Analysis
- Tone
- Formal, legal
- Purpose
- To issue a grand jury subpoena to Iterative Capital / Iterative OTC LLC and to obtain a non-disclosure order preventing them from notifying anyone about the subpoena.
- Significance
- The document reveals a criminal investigation into a fraudulent scheme involving cryptocurrency transactions and the efforts to maintain the secrecy of the investigation.
File Info
- File Name
- EFTA00102639.txt
- Dataset
- dataset_9
- Type
- Text
- Model
- gemini-2.0-flash-001
- Processed
- 2026-02-07T18:44:27.426617
- DOJ Source
- View on DOJ