Suspect in Zondacrypto investigation faces organized crime charges as Polish authorities request detention
Authorities in Poland have filed charges against Romana Ż. on allegations of organized criminal activity and misappropriating $2.1 million belonging to Zondacrypto users.
Authorities in Poland conducting an investigation into the cryptocurrency trading platform Zondacrypto have brought formal charges against a person designated as Romana Ż., accusing them of membership in an organized crime syndicate and the alleged theft of 7.8 million zlotys ($2.1 million) belonging to customers of the platform.
Authorities have additionally petitioned the District Court of Katowice-Wschód to impose pretrial detention on the accused, expressing concerns regarding potential flight risk or possible tampering with ongoing investigative procedures, as stated in an official press release issued on Monday.
On Sept. 5, Romana Ż. was taken into custody due to apprehensions about a potential escape, and was later interrogated by prosecutorial authorities. The individual under investigation rejected the accusations and submitted a formal statement, as reported by the National Prosecutor's Office of Poland.
According to prosecutorial allegations, Romana Ż. collaborated with additional individuals to steal funds that had been placed in the custody of the cryptocurrency exchange through unauthorized modifications to digital records and tampering with the platform's data processing and transmission systems.
These criminal charges follow the detention of three additional suspects on Sept. 2 who were also charged in connection with the ongoing investigation, facing accusations that include laundering of money, theft of corporate resources, and involvement in organized criminal activities. A judicial authority in Poland mandated that all three individuals remain in pretrial custody for a period extending up to three months.
According to earlier coverage by Cointelegraph, prosecutorial estimates placed the financial damages associated with Zondacrypto at a minimum of 350 million zlotys. Additionally, in July, the investigation was consolidated with a separate inquiry into the 2022 vanishing of Sylwester Suszek, who established BitBay, the exchange that subsequently underwent a rebranding to become Zondacrypto.
In August, BB Trade Estonia, which operates Zondacrypto from Estonia, was officially declared to be in bankruptcy, with the initial assembly of creditors set to take place on Sept. 17.