TechFlow news — Australian prosecutors are submitting sentencing recommendations in a case involving a mistaken transfer by Crypto.com. In May 2021, due to an internal error, Crypto.com mistakenly transferred $6.86 million (approximately A$10.47 million) to an Australian couple, Thevamanogari Manivel and Jatinder Singh, instead of the intended A$100 refund. By the time the exchange discovered the error during an internal audit in December 2021, Singh had already purchased multiple properties and gifted A$1 million to a friend.
During the latest court hearing on August 2, prosecutor Campbell Thomson argued that, given the substantial amount involved, this should not be considered a crime of opportunity, and called for a custodial sentence for Singh. Singh’s lawyer, Martin Kozlowski, countered that Singh did not fully comprehend the seriousness of the unusual situation, which he claimed would be challenging for anyone to grasp.
Previously, in March 2023, prosecutors noted that only $4.9 million had been recovered, with some funds already transferred overseas, highlighting a potential flight risk for Singh. Singh is set to be sentenced next month. Last September, his partner Manivel was sentenced to approximately seven months in prison—already served—and placed under an 18-month community correction order after pleading guilty to recklessly handling proceeds of crime.
