Maryland Man Accused of Stealing $53,300,000 From Decentralized Crypto Exchange, Laundering Funds Through Tornado Cash: DOJ

A Maryland man has been charged with allegedly stealing more than $53 million from a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange and laundering the proceeds through Tornado Cash, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton says that Jonathan Spalletta, also known as “Cthulhon” and “Jspalletta,” faces charges of computer fraud and money laundering tied to two 2021 hacks of Uranium Finance.

Prosecutors allege that in April 2021, Spalletta exploited vulnerabilities in Uranium’s smart contracts.

In the first incident, he allegedly manipulated reward mechanisms to extract about $1.4 million in crypto.

In the second, he is accused of exploiting another flaw across 26 liquidity pools, stealing approximately $53.3 million and causing the platform to shut down.

Authorities say Spalletta later laundered the stolen funds through complex transactions, including the use of Tornado Cash.

“As alleged, Jonathan Spalletta repeatedly hacked smart contracts to steal millions of dollars’ worth of other people’s money,” Clayton said, adding that the scheme resulted in “real losses of tens of millions of dollars.”

Prosecutors also allege that Spalletta used the funds to purchase high-value collectibles, including rare trading cards and ancient coins.

In February 2025, law enforcement seized approximately $31 million in cryptocurrency tied to the case.

Spalletta, 36, faces up to 10 years in prison for computer fraud and up to 20 years for money laundering.

Authorities noted that the charges are allegations and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

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