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Utah Man Sentenced to 3 Years for $2.9 Million Investor Fraud and Unlicensed Cash-to-Crypto Business

The case underscores a broader federal push to police unlicensed cash-to-crypto operators using parallel enforcement.

Overview

  • Brian Garry Sewell received 36 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release, with the term running concurrently with a separate three-year sentence.
  • The court ordered more than $3.8 million in restitution, directing payments to investors and the Department of Homeland Security.
  • Prosecutors say Sewell misled at least 17 investors between 2017 and 2024, taking over $2.9 million through false claims about his background and investment returns.
  • In 2020 he ran Rockwell Capital Management as an unlicensed cash-to-crypto service that converted over $5.4 million, including transactions for criminals tied to fraud and drug trafficking.
  • Sewell and Rockwell Capital Management previously settled SEC allegations, paying a $223,229 civil penalty and $1.6 million in disgorgement and interest.