Summary
- Noman Saleem, 39, from New York, received a 15-month prison sentence for a fraudulent scheme impersonating famous crypto influencers.
- He deceived victims on Telegram with fake crypto staking opportunities promising "guaranteed returns," then took off with their investments.
- Saleem's scheme netted him at least $1.4 million; prosecutors noted that much of the stolen funds were recovered in crypto and cash.
A New York individual who posed as renowned crypto influencers to defraud investors has been sentenced to prison.
Noman Saleem, 39, residing in Queens and Levittown, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison, along with three years of supervised release, for his involvement in a wire-fraud operation, as announced by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland on Tuesday. The sentence was delivered by U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow.
Noman Saleem, a New York resident, was sentenced to federal prison for his role in a wire-fraud scheme where he impersonated popular crypto influencers.
U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow handed down a 15-month prison sentence to Saleem, 39, connected to the fraudulent activities.… pic.twitter.com/CZlwKdGSuq
— US Attorney Maryland (@USAO_MD) June 23, 2026
According to prosecutors, Saleem began his fraudulent activities in December 2020 by impersonating well-known crypto influencers to gain the trust of potential victims. He convinced them to transfer cryptocurrency to wallets under his control. After securing the funds, he severed all communication and vanished.
He created Telegram accounts that mimicked two popular influencers, attracting thousands of followers to a public channel. He then charged approximately $500 to $600 in crypto for access to a "VIP" channel, where users believed they could communicate directly with the actual influencer.
In this channel, he promoted staking rewards for periods of 30 to 90 days, misleading investors into thinking that larger investments would yield higher returns. However, he never engaged in any staking activities. Crypto staking generally involves locking tokens to support a blockchain in exchange for returns, typically between 5% and 20% annually.
Ultimately, Saleem accrued at least $1.4 million through his scheme, which included funds from a victim based in Maryland, as per court documents. Prosecutors stated that a significant portion of this amount was recovered after he pleaded guilty in September of last year.
This case, investigated by the FBI's Baltimore field office, represents the latest U.S. prosecution aimed at combatting fraud that exploits crypto terminology, where impersonators leverage the reputations of trusted figures and the allure of passive income to defraud investors.