Perhaps Aurélien Michel wanted to scam anyone who would buy him NFTs, a sort of digital work of art? This is what the American authorities think, who on Wednesday arrested this young Breton, son of footballer Coco Michel, also a footballer, Le Télégramme reports this Saturday, largely repeating the press release published by the US prosecutor’s office.
This Frenchman, now residing in the UAE, is accused of “defrauding NFT buyers Planet of the Mutant Apes » up to $2.9 million. Aurélien Michel is therefore accused of having “promised many rewards and benefits intended to increase the demand and value” of NFTs, but of abandoning the project by taking all the money from investors.
“NFT buyers Mutant ape planet they thought they were investing in a trendy new collectible, but were deceived and received none of the promised benefits,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York. “Once the NFTs run out, (Aurelian) Michel would have ceased communications and withdrawn the funds from the buyers”, claims for its part, in this same press release, the service in charge of the investigation since the filing of a complaint, also published online, at the beginning of the year 2022 .
Blame it on a “too toxic” community.
According to the US prosecutor, Aurélien Michel admitted to the scheme during the investigation but denied any responsibility. French thus blamed the NFT-buying community, arguing that it had “become far too toxic”. He was arrested on Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as he intended to fly to the United Arab Emirates.
Aurélien Michel is not unknown in France. He is the son of Coco Michel, legendary player of En avant Guingamp (EAG) where he is now part of the coaching staff. Aurélien Michel, 24, had tried to follow in his father’s footsteps: trained at the EAG, he was a player for Lannion and Ploumagoar.
