According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Department of Justice plans to drop charges against Matthew Goettsche, founder of BitClub Network. Goettsche was accused of operating a cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme involving $722 million and was scheduled to stand trial in October.
Goettsche’s legal team notified the judge on July 8 that both sides had reached a “framework agreement” to resolve the pending charges. The case has dragged on for seven years since the 2019 indictment, and three co-defendants have already pleaded guilty. Goettsche assembled a legal team with ties to the Trump administration to lobby for the dismissal, including Florida attorney Bradford Cohen—who previously appeared on *The Apprentice*—and Brett Tolman, who has helped clients secure presidential pardons from Donald Trump.[PANews]