FBI: Japheth Dillman allegedly scammed friends and investors in a crypto fraud scheme
Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Register today.
Japheth Dillman established a reputation in the game industry as a financial leader, serving as a cofounder of the game accelerator YetiZen.
But lately, that reputation is in jeopardy. On April 27, the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service said they arrested Dillman in connection with an alleged scheme to defraud victims into investing in a cryptocurrency trading fund. On top of that, Dillman has been accused (Facebook link) of failing to pay a $50,000 bill from circus performers for a personal birthday party that Dillman threw for a friend, according to The Dahlias, who said he hired them for a performance.
The authorities said that the 44-year-old San Francisco resident is charged with defrauding people who invested in a fund, Block Bits Fund I, LP, that he ran with his general partner David Mata, 42, of Spokane, Washington. Dillman did not comment on the allegations related to the FBI charges, except to say he was cooperating with the ongoing investigation, and he has not entered a plea yet.
“I have not been found guilty, there hasn’t been a trial yet. I am scheduled to go in for my first interview with the investigators next month to go over evidence,” Dillman said. “They have yet to even interview me.”
MetaBeat 2022
MetaBeat will bring together metaverse thought leaders to give guidance on how metaverse technology will transform the way all industries communicate and do business on October 3-4 in San Francisco, CA.
Dillman allegedly told potential investors that Block Bits Fund was developing a novel autotrader
Read more on venturebeat.com
