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DOJ Moves to Dismiss Criminal Case Against Alleged BitClub Founder

A narrower DOJ policy on crypto prosecutions now leaves civil routes available to victims.

Overview

  • Goettsche’s lawyers filed that they had reached an “agreement in principle” to resolve the charges, and multiple outlets reported the Deputy Attorney General’s office instructed New Jersey prosecutors to prepare a dismissal with prejudice.
  • The 2019 indictment accused the BitClub Network of running a fake bitcoin-mining investment scheme that raised about $722 million from 2014 to 2019.
  • Three co-defendants pleaded guilty in 2020–2022, while Goettsche refused earlier pleas and faced a trial set for October 6, 2026 before the reported decision.
  • At the time of reporting no formal dismissal motion had appeared on the public docket, and prosecutors say civil forfeiture and other civil remedies remain available to return funds to victims.
  • The move follows an April 2025 Deputy Attorney General memo urging a narrower approach to digital-asset prosecutions, a change that could influence strategy and motions in other high-dollar crypto fraud cases.