Key facts
- A Polish court approved pretrial detention for Roman Ż., the fifth suspect in the Zondacrypto exchange probe.
- Roman Ż. is charged with membership of an organized criminal group and misappropriating client funds via computer fraud.
- Prosecutors allege the group misappropriated at least 7.8 million złoty (approximately $2 million) from users.
- The investigation centers on an alleged scheme to take over the assets of Zondacrypto founder Sylwester Suszek.
- Estonia's financial intelligence unit revoked BB Trade Estonia's license on June 29.
A Polish court has approved pretrial detention for a fifth suspect in the investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange Zondacrypto. Roman Ż. was charged with membership of an organized criminal group and misappropriating clients' funds through computer fraud, facing up to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors allege that an organized group operated from 2020 to 2026 with the goal of seizing the assets of Zondacrypto founder Sylwester Suszek.
Prosecutors claim the group illicitly obtained at least 7.8 million złoty, approximately $2 million, from exchange users by making unauthorized changes to its data and interfering with its processing and transmission. One specific allegation states that nearly €8 million left the operator's account last October to purchase property in France. Other charges include fictitious property transactions and money laundering.
The exchange, which launched in 2014 as BitBay and later rebranded as Zondacrypto after moving its registration to Estonia in 2020, claimed 1.3 million clients. The exchange froze withdrawals and ceased operations in April. Estonia's financial intelligence unit revoked BB Trade Estonia's license on June 29.
Last week, three other individuals—Anna P., Jaromira W., and Rafał Z.—were placed in pretrial detention for three months. Anna P. also faces charges related to obstructing the investigation into Suszek's deprivation of liberty. All three denied the charges. The Katowice regional prosecutor's office initiated the case in April, receiving thousands of complaints.