Seven indicted for stealing $300K in crypto that was NYC body shop owner’s nest egg — bought Rolex, Benz
Damning video and photos obtained by The Post show Peterson Jr. counting stacks of cash, showing off jewelry he allegedly bought with stolen funds and even transferring the stolen crypto on his cellphone
A Queens auto body shop owner lost his $300,000 retirement nest egg after a California man stole his Bitcoin — and used the funds to buy a diamond pendant, a Rolex and a Mercedes-Benz, authorities said.
The victim, 61, had 5.75 Bitcoin worth $92,000 in a Blockchain digital “wallet” when it was allegedly stolen by Aaron Peterson Jr., 20, in November 2022, the Queens District Attorney’s office said.
The digital currency is now worth more than triple, prosecutors said.
Peterson — who was still a teen at the time — was the “mastermind” behind the hack, which also involved his parents, Aaron Peterson Sr., 39, and Autumn Clark, 37, and four others.
The group was indicted Friday on charges of grand larceny, money laundering, identity theft and other crimes, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.
The victim, a Jamaica, Queens resident, bought the cryptocurrency in 2017 and was watching it grow in value over time, sources said.
Aaron Peterson Jr. allegedly used the stole money to buy a diamond pendant, a watch and a Mercedes-Benz. Queens District Attorney's Office
The participants, including Dontay Brown, 39, and Ronald Moland, Jr., 22, as well as two unidentified suspects, deposited the crypto into Cash App accounts and then withdrew the dough, according to officials.
They put the remaining funds into a “pool account” belonging to the younger Peterson, who used it to buy the high end goods, according to prosecutors.
Damning video and photos obtained by The Post show Peterson Jr. counting stacks of cash, showing off jewelry he allegedly bought with stolen funds and even transferring the stolen crypto on his cellphone.
