Travis Ford, co-founder of Wolf Capital Crypto Trading Company, has been sentenced to five years in federal prison in connection with a crypto investment fraud case.
The U.S. Department of Justice said the 36-year-old received a 60-month sentence. The court also ordered more than $1 million in forfeiture and over $170,000 in restitution.Ford pleaded guilty in January 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to investment promotions made through Wolf Capital.
A Carefully Crafted Illusion of High Returns
Court filings covered activity between January and August 2023. Wolf Capital was promoted as a crypto trading operation during that period. Promotional materials mentioned daily returns in the range of 1 to 2 percent. Promotion took place online. This included the company’s website and social media accounts.
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Ford was presented as an experienced crypto trader. Prosecutors said the returns described in promotional materials were not supported by actual trading activity.
More than 2,800 investors deposited funds during that period.
Investigators said investor money was not used as described. Instead, funds from newer investors were used to make payments to earlier participants, while a portion was diverted for personal expenses. When new deposits slowed, the operation stopped making payments.
Part of a Growing Trend of Global Crypto Fraud
Ford’s sentencing comes amid increased enforcement activity tied to fraudulent crypto investment schemes. Authorities in several countries have brought cases against individuals accused of using digital assets to run unregistered or misleading investment programs.
Earlier this week, Zhimin Qian, a Chinese national sometimes referred to as the “Cryptoqueen,” was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Prosecutors said Qian ran a large-scale crypto fraud that affected more than 128,000 investors and involved holdings of approximately 61,000 bitcoin.
Following her arrest in April 2024, UK authorities seized more than $6 billion worth of bitcoin connected to the case, according to government statements.
Continued Warning to Investors
Regulators have repeatedly cautioned investors about schemes that promote unusually high or guaranteed returns.
Law enforcement agencies say these types of claims are commonly associated with fraudulent activity. Recent cases show that investigations into such schemes are ongoing.
