Particle.news
Download on the App Store

DOJ Charges German Suspect With Laundering Dream Market Crypto Into Gold Bars

The case spotlights a DOJ shift to target crypto converted into physical assets.

Overview

  • U.S. prosecutors secured a federal grand jury indictment with 12 money‑laundering counts, each carrying up to 20 years in prison.
  • Investigators say funds moved from long‑dormant Dream Market wallets in late 2022, indicating someone used the original private keys.
  • Prosecutors allege Owe Martin Andresen used an Atlanta crypto service in 2023 to buy gold bars that were shipped to his home in Germany.
  • Searches in early May recovered about $1.7 million in gold bars, more than $23,000 in cash, and data tied to roughly $1.2 million in accounts linked to the scheme.
  • German authorities arrested Andresen on parallel charges, and the DOJ alleges he laundered more than $2 million between August 2023 and April 2025 by moving crypto into hard‑to‑trace bullion.