US Court Orders Forfeiture of $4.1 Million n USDT Linked to Fraud

On Monday, March 30, 2026, the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued an order for the forfeiture of approximately 4,110,000 USDT. The USDT was previously associated with an unhosted virtual currency address on the Ethereum blockchain.

The court’s decision, presided over by Judge Gregory A. Presnell, grants the United States’ Uncontested Motion for Judgment of Forfeiture. The court determined that the defendant funds are subject to forfeiture under 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(a)(1)(C), 981(a)(1)(A), and Supplemental Rule G. The funds were linked to proceeds from a wire fraud scheme, violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1343 and 1349, and were also connected to property involved in money laundering offenses, violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) and 1956(h).

The court noted that notice of the civil forfeiture action had been published for 30 consecutive days on an official government website, as documented in the Proof of Publication filed with the court.

The United States had sent notice to all known interested parties, including XM Defi; however, XM Defi failed to file a claim to contest the forfeiture. As a result, all rights, title, and interest in the Defendant Funds are forfeited to the United States, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 981(a)(1)(C), 981(a)(1)(A).

Please contact BlockTribune for access to a copy of this filing.