Maryland resident charged over $54 million Uranium Finance hack; funds allegedly spent on rare trading cards and Apollo-era moon artifact

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has charged Jonathan Spalletta, a 36-year-old from Maryland, with hacking decentralized exchange Uranium Finance twice in 2021, according to The Block. Prosecutors say Spalletta first took about $1.4 million using deceptive smart-contract transactions, then returned weeks later to exploit a contract vulnerability and siphon off $53.3 million. The loss allegedly drained the platform's funds and led to its shutdown. Authorities allege the proceeds were laundered and used to buy millions of dollars in rare Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards, along with a piece of original fabric from the Wright brothers' aircraft that later traveled to the lunar surface during an Apollo mission. Spalletta is charged with computer fraud, which carries up to 10 years, and money laundering, which carries up to 20 years—a combined maximum of 30 years. U.S. authorities previously recovered $31 million in crypto assets in February 2025.