NFT Developer Convicted of Fraud and Money Laundering in Florida

According to Foresight News, a federal jury in Florida has found 21-year-old NFT developer Berman Jerry Nowlin, also known as Repulse and Zayous, guilty of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Nowlin faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for January 23, 2025. Nowlin, along with co-defendant Devin Alan Rhoden, minted the 'UndeadApes' and 'Undead Lady Apes' NFT series on the Solana blockchain. Nowlin served as the developer for these projects, which involved creating NFTs using an art engine, managing blockchain protocols, and writing Solana smart contracts. The two later executed a rug pull on a third NFT series, 'Undead Tombstone,' in April 2022, deleting their Discord and Twitter accounts and cutting off all communication with investors. Through these three NFT projects, they received nearly $400,000 in cryptocurrency. Rhoden pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering on May 24, 2024. His sentencing hearing is set for November 20, 2024.