TechFlow news — On January 4, according to Decrypt, 21-year-old Berman Jerry Nowlin died by apparent suicide while awaiting sentencing. In November 2024, Nowlin was convicted for his involvement in a $400,000 NFT "rug pull" scheme involving two NFT collections, "Undead Apes" and "Undead Lady Apes," launched on the Solana blockchain.
Nowlin conspired with 25-year-old Devin Alan Rhoden in the fraud, facing charges of wire fraud and money laundering. The Department of Justice stated they used false marketing claims and illicit cryptocurrency mixers to launder funds. Nowlin’s family said he fell into severe depression after the verdict, emphasizing that he was merely a developer exploited in the project. However, prosecutors presented evidence directly tracing illicit proceeds to his bank account.
