SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane man was sentenced for stealing $350,000 from investors in a cryptocurrency scheme.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and court documents, Michael McElhiney, 38, defrauded investors by posing as the operator of a cryptocurrency investment fund called MAC Blockchain Solutions. The scheme occurred between March 4, 2021, and Sept. 10, 2022. McElhiney promised prospective investors that he and his alleged business partners ran a successful cryptocurrency investment fund that invested in emerging cryptocurrencies and other blockchain-based projects, such as Ethereum staking and cryptocurrency liquidity pools.
According to the prosecutor’s office, McElhiney typically contacted victims in person, including Uber drivers he met during rides and women he encountered through…
