Bon Posted October 24 Posted October 24 Sean Hvizdzak to relinquish law license with plea, agreement states By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER marcie@bradfordera.com Sean Hvizdzak has given up his law license for good as a condition of pleading guilty in the federal crypto scam case against him and his brother, Shane. Sean Hvizdzak, 39, of St. Marys, had been a practicing attorney in at least McKean and Elk counties from October 2014 until November 2021, when he was suspended by the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. While he pleaded guilty to just two charges, his plea agreement says he acknowledged responsibility for the conduct charged in 27 other counts relating to wire fraud and money laundering. The agreement stated, “the conduct charged in those counts may be considered by the Probation Office or the Court in calculating the guideline range and in imposing sentence.” The agreed upon sentence is 0 to 3 months imprisonment, followed by a period of three years of supervised release on home confinement. If he is not sentenced to imprisonment, then he agrees to 5 years of probation, the first four years of which will be served on home confinement, the agreement stated. The length of the sentence would be reduced if the restitution were to be paid in full prior to sentencing. Hvizdzak and his brother Shane, 37, of Bradford, were charged after a June 17, 2020, visit to the High Street, Bradford, home of Hvizdzaks’ parents by FBI agents, looking to question Shane Hvizdzak regarding an alleged financial scheme. The Department of Justice alleged the two conned investors out of approximately $31 million, saying it was being invested in digital assets and fabricating statements indicating the investments were earning huge returns. The two allegedly put the assets in their personal accounts and moved them outside the U.S. No agreement for Shane Hvizdzak was immediately available. Sean Hvizdzak’s agreement includes restitution to the victims as the court directs. A list of items to be forfeited, should he have any rights to them, was included as well: $341,532 in U.S. currency; Rolex GMT Master II watch with Jubilee bracelet; Gent’s Rolex Sea Dweller 43 mm Mechanical Movement watch with Oyster bracelet; seven different amounts of digital currency; and the home at 561 High St. He also agreed to request estimated tax payments to be returned from the IRS to be submitted for restitution; forfeiture of funds in crypto wallets; and forfeiture of any funds credited to High Street Capital Partners. Despite the wording of the plea agreement, Sean Hvizdzak’s attorney, David Berardinelli of Pittsburgh, said, “The plea should not be construed as an admission of broad involvement by Sean in Shane Hvizdzak’s misconduct as Sean had very strong factual defenses to the overall charges.” Berardinelli said, “We were aggressively preparing the case for trial, including expert testimony from both a former FBI agent who analyzed the relevant financial records and a renowned cryptocurrency expert — the financial and blockchain records show Shane’s accounts receiving over $15 million dollars in the spring of 2020 with Sean receiving next to nothing.” Sean Hvizdzak will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Feb. 25. Last week, Shane Hvizdzak pleaded guilty to 49 counts. He will be sentenced at 10 a.m. Feb. 18 Seadog 1
Seadog Posted October 27 Posted October 27 We are blessed to live where we do but certainly not immune to the evil that people do. Thank you for posting so concisely.
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