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FIGR_HELOC $1.03 Pokemon card collector faces New York trial over alleged $55 million crypto hack
Prosecutors say two 2021 Uranium Finance exploits funded rare cards and collectibles, with a $31 million seizure arriving years later.
Key takeaways
- Two alleged attacks. Prosecutors say the April 8 and April 28 incidents took about $1.4 million and $53.3 million.
- Collectibles listed. The DOJ names a Black Lotus card at about $500,000 and 18 sealed Alpha booster packs at about $1.51 million.
- Seizure came later. Law enforcement seized cryptocurrency worth about $31 million on February 24, 2025.
What happened
A Maryland cybersecurity consultant, Jonathan Spalletta, went on trial in New York over allegations that he stole nearly $55 million in hacked cryptocurrency and spent part of it on rare Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards. Prosecutors say he exploited Uranium Finance, a decentralized exchange where users deposited and swapped assets through liquidity pools, in two separate attacks in April 2021.
The first alleged attack is dated to April 8. Prosecutors say a deceptive series of smart-contract transactions let Spalletta pull more rewards tokens than he was owed, taking cryptocurrency worth approximately $1.4 million. A second incident on April 28 is alleged to have used a flaw in withdrawal logic across 26 Uranium pools, taking approximately $53.3 million in crypto. Uranium closed after the second hack because it ran out of funds.
The Justice Department announced the indictment on March 30, 2026. The DOJ said Spalletta surrendered after the indictment was unsealed and was due before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. Earlier, on February 24, 2025, law enforcement seized cryptocurrency worth approximately $31 million under a judicially authorized seizure warrant.
Prosecutors allege Spalletta moved the crypto across wallets and blockchains, including through Tornado Cash, before spending it. The listed purchases include a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card at approximately $500,000, 18 sealed Alpha booster packs at approximately $1.51 million, a sealed first-edition Pokemon booster box at approximately $257,500 and a complete first-edition Pokemon base set at approximately $750,000.
Why it matters
The indictment describes a route from contract exploitation to spending, not just a large balance sitting in a wallet. That long gap between the alleged 2021 attacks and the later seizure is a familiar pattern: transactions can stay visible even when the identity behind an address is not established right away.
The charges against Spalletta remain allegations, not a court finding of guilt.
What the data shows
- The first alleged attack took cryptocurrency worth approximately $1.4 million.
- The second alleged attack took approximately $53.3 million across 26 Uranium liquidity pools.
- Law enforcement seized cryptocurrency worth approximately $31 million on February 24, 2025.
- Listed purchases include about $500,000 for a Black Lotus card and about $1.51 million for 18 sealed Alpha booster packs.
What is still unclear
- The reports give more than one figure for the alleged loss: nearly $55 million in one account, and two attacks of approximately $1.4 million and approximately $53.3 million in another.
- The DOJ release does not provide a complete transaction-by-transaction tracing account.
Questions readers ask
Who is Jonathan Spalletta?
He is described as a Maryland cybersecurity consultant accused of stealing nearly $55 million in hacked cryptocurrency and spending some of it on rare Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering cards. The charges remain allegations, not a court finding of guilt.
What was Uranium Finance?
It was a decentralized cryptocurrency exchange that let users deposit and exchange assets through liquidity pools. Prosecutors allege its smart contracts were exploited twice in April 2021.
How much cryptocurrency was seized?
Law enforcement seized cryptocurrency worth approximately $31 million on February 24, 2025, under a judicially authorized seizure warrant.
What did the alleged proceeds buy?
The DOJ lists a Black Lotus Magic: The Gathering card at approximately $500,000, 18 sealed Alpha booster packs at approximately $1.51 million, a sealed first-edition Pokemon booster box at approximately $257,500 and a complete first-edition base set at approximately $750,000.
