British sprinter CJ Ujah is among ten individuals who have appeared in court accused of participating in an alleged cryptocurrency fraud that reportedly saw one victim lose more than £300,000. Ujah, a disgraced former Olympian who was stripped of his silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, is alleged to have been a member of an organised crime group linked to a crypto scam.
Details of the alleged scam
The scam reportedly involved phone calls to multiple victims from individuals posing as police officers and cryptocurrency companies. Victims are said to have been tricked into sharing important security details before discovering that funds stored in their crypto wallets had been stolen. One victim is alleged to have lost more than £300,000.
An investigation was launched across multiple police forces, resulting in a series of coordinated search warrants being executed across Kent, Essex, and London on April 29. All ten defendants are charged with conspiracy to defraud, according to the Regional Organised Crime Unit Network.
Court appearance
Today, Ujah and the nine other defendants appeared before Chelmsford Crown Court. None of the defendants were asked to enter pleas at Thursday's hearing, and they are next due to appear before the same court on July 24. Judge Mary Loram was told that a trial in the case could last around three months, with no date or venue yet set.
The defendants include sprinter Ujah, whose name appeared in the court list as Chijindu Ujah. He raised his hand when asked by the court clerk to confirm his identity, as he sat in the dock alongside five co-defendants, with the other four appearing by prison videolink.
Background on CJ Ujah
The 32-year-old, of Enfield, north London, became only the fifth Briton to break the 10-second barrier for the 100 metres, running 9.96 seconds in 2014. He won 4x100m relay gold at the world championships in London in 2017. At the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, he raced in the 4x100m final but tested positive for two banned substances, leading to his team being stripped of their silver medal. He was subsequently cleared of intentionally taking prohibited substances.
Other defendants
The other defendants are Brandon Mingeli, 25, of Thamesmead, south-east London; Louis Richards-Miller, 24, of Greenwich, south-east London; Joseph Umoru, 24, of Abbey Wood, south-east London; Adedeji Kujore, 24, of Erith, Kent; Taiwo Yusuf, 24, Kehinde Yusuf, 24, Jayden Nakayama, 25 - all from Greenwich; Samantha Gyabaa, 23, of Hackney, east London; and Jami Durston, 28, of Chelmsford, Essex. Mingeli, Richards-Miller, Umoru and Durston were remanded into custody, while the other six defendants were bailed.
