Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr., the former co-CEOs of Bitwise Industries, were sentenced to a combined 20 years in federal prison for their roles in a wire fraud scheme that defrauded victims of approximately $115 million. The sentencing took place in federal court in Fresno, California, on December 17, 2024. The fraudulent activities led to significant financial losses for victims, totaling over $23 million, and resulted in the collapse of Bitwise Industries in 2023, which had previously been regarded as a pioneering tech startup in California's Central Valley. Both founders pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, marking a dramatic fall from grace for the once-prominent figures in the tech industry.
Founders of Bitwise sentenced to a combined 20 years in prison for $115 million fraud scheme. https://t.co/RzjTbxZeB1
Once seen as two people revolutionizing tech in the Central Valley, Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr. are now set to spend years in federal prison after pleading guilty to a wire fraud scheme and the theft of $115 million. https://t.co/essovkzl7K
The disgraced founders of Bitwise Industries, Jake Soberal and Irma Olguin Jr., were sentenced on Tuesday following the fall of a “house of cards” that ultimately collapsed in 2023, leading to hundreds of employees being laid off. https://t.co/1n37XBC4jy