Chijindu “CJ” Ujah, 32, a British sprinter, is among ten suspects charged with conspiracy to defraud in an alleged scam ring that stole crypto from victims across England. CJ
Ujah also ran in the Tokyo Olympic relay that initially won silver before the team was stripped of the medal following his 22-month ban for testing positive for prohibited substances. He was later cleared of intentional doping but hasn’t competed since 2024.
Brandon Mingeli, 25, who represented Great Britain in the 100m at the 2021 European U23 Championships, is also among those charged.
The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) executed simultaneous search warrants at 6 AM on April 29 across Chelmsford, Enfield, South London, and Wakefield.
All ten suspects were charged with conspiracy to defraud. Margate Magistrates’ Court heard the charges the following day.
Callers posed as cops and drained wallets
The alleged scheme relied on social engineering rather than technical exploits. Callers posed as police officers or representatives of crypto companies.
They then pressured victims into sharing their seed phrases or private keys in order to steal or spend the funds.
Once victims handed over their seed phrase, the funds were drained. At least one person lost £300,000.
ERSOU received support from Kent Police, the City of London Police, the Metropolitan Police, and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit. The Wakefield suspect was detained by the Yorkshire unit.
Three defendants were remanded in custody. Mingeli and Jami Durston-McDonnel, 28, both of Chelmsford, along with Louis Richards-Miller, 24, of Greenwich. The remaining seven, including Ujah, were granted bail.
The full list of bailed defendants includes Joseph Umoru, 24; Adedeji Kujore, 24; Abdul-Azeem Taiwo Adeola Yusuf, 24; Abdul-Azeez Kehinde Adeolu Yusuf; Jayden Nakayama, 25; and Samantha Gyabaa, 23.
The Court date is set for May 28. All ten defendants are scheduled to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 28. No pleas have been entered.
England sees a wave of crypto theft cases
The case adds to a growing list of crypto theft prosecutions in England.
In November 2025, Thames Valley Police arrested four men after masked attackers forced a victim in Oxford to transfer roughly $1.5 million in crypto while also stealing a luxury watch, Cryptopolitan previously reported.
Earlier this year, three teenagers who disguised themselves as Amazon delivery drivers to steal £3.1 million in crypto from an East London property received a combined 16 years in youth detention.
ERSOU issued guidance following the arrests of the ten defendants in the British sprinter crypto fraud case.
Police will never call asking about crypto holdings, and no real company or officer will request a seed phrase.
Anyone receiving such a call should hang up and verify independently by dialing 101 from a separate phone.
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