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Utah Man Sentenced to Three Years for Crypto Fraud and Unlicensed Money Transfers

Prosecutors describe investor deception tied to an unlicensed cash‑to‑crypto service that moved more than $5.4 million.

Overview

  • Brian Garry Sewell, 54, received 36 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to wire fraud.
  • He was ordered to pay more than $3.6 million in restitution to victims and additional restitution to the Department of Homeland Security.
  • Prosecutors say he took over $2.9 million from at least 17 investors by fabricating credentials and touting a non‑existent hedge fund.
  • In a separate scheme, he operated Rockwell Capital Management as an unlicensed money‑transmitting business that converted more than $5.4 million in bulk cash to cryptocurrency for third parties, including people tied to fraud and drug trafficking.
  • The prison term runs concurrently with a related sentence, and the case followed a multi‑agency probe alongside an earlier SEC settlement requiring disgorgement and a civil penalty.