CJ Ujah pleads not guilty to cryptocurrency fraud charges
British Olympic sprinter CJ Ujah has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud over alleged cryptocurrency fraud at Chelmsford Crown Court. The Enfield athlete was among defendants accused of organised crime links after a scam prosecutors say used fake police and crypto company calls to steal wallet funds, with one victim allegedly losing more than £300,000.
Key Takeaways
- CJ Ujah pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to defraud at Chelmsford Crown Court.
- Nine other people appeared in the alleged organised crime cryptocurrency case.
- Prosecutors say victims were tricked into sharing security details before wallet thefts.
- A 12-week trial is listed from 24 May next year, with a hearing on 9 September.
- Eastern Region Special Operations Unit raids ran across Kent, Essex and London on 29 April.
What happened in court, and why does the fraud case matter?
Ujah, formally listed as Chijindu Ujah and aged 32, of Enfield, north London, denied conspiracy to defraud when he appeared among 10 people at Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday. Eight co-defendants also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. Joseph Umoru is due to enter his plea at a later date.
The case belongs on the Fintech & Crypto Alerts beat because it centres on alleged organised theft from crypto wallets. According to BBC News, the group is accused of ties to an organised crime network linked to scamming activity.
How did the alleged cryptocurrency fraud work?
Court reporting says the alleged scam involved phone calls to multiple victims from people purporting to be police officers and cryptocurrency companies. Victims were then reportedly tricked into sharing sensitive security details.
Funds stored in their crypto wallets were later discovered stolen, coverage states. One alleged victim is said to have lost more than £300,000. Co-ordinated search warrants were executed in Kent, Essex and London on 29 April during an Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) investigation.
Who else faces charges, and what comes next?
Besides Ujah, defendants named in reporting include Jami Durston, 28, of Chelmsford; Brandon Mingeli, 25, of Thamesmead; Louis Richards-Miller, 24, of Greenwich; Joseph Umoru, 24, of Abbey Wood; Adedeji Kujore, 24, of Erith; Taiwo Yusuf, 24, Kehinde Yusuf, 24, and Jayden Nakayama, 25, all from Greenwich; and Samantha Gyabaa, 23, of Hackney.
Mingeli denied converting criminal property but admitted two charges of possessing a false identity document. A 12-week trial is set at Chelmsford Crown Court from 24 May next year. The next hearing is listed for 9 September at the same court.
What is CJ Ujah’s sporting background?
Ujah became the fifth Briton to break the 10-second barrier for the 100m, running 9.96 seconds in 2014. He won 4x100m relay gold at the 2017 World Championships in London and competed at the Olympics.
At Tokyo 2021 he raced in the 4x100m final but tested positive for two banned substances, and Team GB was stripped of silver. He was later cleared of intentionally taking prohibited substances. He has denied involvement in the alleged fraud.