73-year-old man charged in $2.4m crypto money laundering scam

A Montana man has been found guilty of conspiracy to launder over $2.4 million through cryptocurrency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas announced Thursday.

Randall V. Rule, 73, formerly of Kalispell, Montana, was convicted on all counts following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle on Feb. 26. 

He was charged alongside Gregory C. Nysewander, formerly of Irmo, South Carolina, in a 2022 federal indictment.

Romance, real estate and email fraud

Prosecutors said Rule and Nysewander helped convert funds from scams — including romance fraud , business email compromises, and real estate scams — into cryptocurrency, which was then transferred to accounts controlled by foreign and domestic co-conspirators.

Romance scams involve fraudsters befriending victims under the pretence of a potential love interest . These scammers pretend to form personal connections to gain victims’ trust and then exploit them financially. 

Scammers also use fake websites to trick victims into providing personal information or sending funds. Many of these sites mimic legitimate companies but have minor differences in their URLs.

To evade detection, Rule and Nysewander allegedly misrepresented transaction details and misled financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges.

“We will aggressively pursue cases against scammers and against those who facilitate their crimes by laundering the criminal proceeds,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Abe McGlothin, Jr.

The U.S. Secret Service, which investigated the case, credited the prosecution team for protecting the country’s financial system.

Rule faces up to 20 years in prison for each money laundering charge and up to five years for conspiracy to violate the Bank Secrecy Act. His sentencing date will be set following an investigation.