Cryptocrook ringleader, 22, who met crew on Minecraft admits role in $245M heist
Stolen funds bought mansions, private jets, and supercars – now he faces up to 20 years
The ringleader of a sprawling cybercrime operation has pleaded guilty in the US after helping to steal and launder hundreds of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency.
Malone Lam, 22, a Singaporean national and Miami resident, spearheaded the scheme to steal cryptocurrency from wealthy individuals between October 2023 and May 2025.
He first visited the US in 2023 after meeting two of the group's earliest alleged members – Jeandiel Serrano and Veer Chetal – while playing Minecraft online.
Lam performed various functions within the group, although court documents [PDF] identify victim selection and social engineering support as his principal roles.
The ringleader was responsible for obtaining databases of high-net-worth individuals who had cryptocurrency holdings to inform the group's targeting. He would also trigger account access notifications on victims' devices to convince them that their accounts...
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