Dylan Meissner, 31, was sentenced on Tuesday in Hartford to four years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from his former employer.
HARTFORD, Conn. — A former cryptocurrency executive from Westport who stole more than $4 million from his employer was sentenced to four years imprisonment in Hartford on Tuesday, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Dylan Meissner, 31, will have his prison sentence followed by two years of supervised release.
Court documents and statements made in court revealed that Meissner was employed at a cryptocurrency research firm as vice president of finance. In this role, he had access to the firm’s cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts.
Prosecutors say that around January 2022, Meissner acquired a 50 Ethereum loan worth approximately $170,000 from his employer. He allegedly said he would use the funds to avoid a substantial loss in cryptocurrency investments he made using his own money.
According to prosecutors, from that point until his termination in November 2022, Meissner attempted to counteract major personal trading losses by fraudulently diverting his employer’s funds to his own use. He covered up his actions by creating false entries in the firm’s books and records.
Through the scheme, prosecutors say Meissner stole approximately $4,461,828 from his employer.
A U.S. District Judge this week ordered Meissner to pay restitution of $4,633,424, including the money he stole from his employer and the loan he failed to repay.
Meissner is free on a $100,000 bond and must report to prison on Feb. 21, 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation.
Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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