Olympian CJ Ujah charged in UK crypto scam case

British sprinter CJ Ujah and nine other defendants appeared at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 28 accused of belonging to an organized crime group that ran a cryptocurrency fraud scheme. Prosecutors allege the group made phone calls to victims while posing as police officers or representatives of cryptocurrency companies to trick people into revealing their seed phrases. In one instance, a victim’s holdings were allegedly emptied of about $403,500 (£300,000).

Prosecutors say the callers used social engineering to convince victims to disclose their seed phrases. A seed phrase is a set of words that lets anyone restore and control a cryptocurrency wallet; if someone else knows the phrase, they can move funds without further checks. Authorities say transactions that follow disclosure of a seed phrase can be fast and irreversible.

After the hearing, four defendants-Brandon Mingeli, Louis Richards-Miller, Joseph Umoru and Jami Durston-were remanded into custody. The other six, including Ujah, were released on bail. All ten are due to return to Chelmsford Crown Court on July 24 for the next stage of proceedings. No one has been convicted; the defendants have pleaded not guilty or are awaiting plea decisions.

Ujah, 32, faces a charge of belonging to an organized crime group linked to the alleged crypto scheme and is also reported to face a separate possible charge of being concerned in the supply of cannabis. Ujah was an elite sprinter who ran 100 meters in 9.96 seconds and ran on British relay teams that won gold at the 2017 World Championships and silver at the Tokyo Olympics. The Olympic relay medals were later withdrawn after he tested positive for two banned substances; he was later cleared of intentionally taking prohibited substances. He has not competed since April 2025.

Prosecutors say the alleged scheme affected multiple victims and involved the transfer of digital assets out of compromised wallets. The court will hear further arguments at the July hearing.