Ben “BitBoy” Armstrong, a prominent member of the cryptocurrency community and YouTuber, has been referred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after he refused to attend a court hearing regarding his promotion of FTX.
Armstrong bragged about skipping the Florida court session by posting a photo of himself on a beach online and saying he «doesn’t give af.»
- At precisely 10 am ET on Thursday, BitBoy released a tweet, precisely when the hearing was planned to start.
I am supposed to be in court today.
I’m not. Why?
Because I don’t give AF
RECKLESSNESS SPONSORED BY pic.twitter.com/t9XqsNd6da
— Ben Armstrong (@Bitboy_Crypto) April 20, 2023
- He released another tweet mocking the plaintiff in the case, Adam Moskowitz, who accused BitBoy of launching a harassment campaign against him.
- Moskowitz serves as a lawyer representing plaintiffs in a lawsuit against multiple YouTubers, including BitBoy, who promoted the failed cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Other accused influencers include Kevin Paffrath, Brian Jung, Graham Stephan, Tom Nash, and Erika Kullberg.
- Following the charges, Bitboy levied a torrent of angry messages towards Moskowitz on Twitter, sharing emails hesent to the lawyer, calling him a «pussy» and a «bitch.»
- Earlier this month, Moskowitz contacted his local police and the FBI about BitBoy, saying he felt «threatened» by what he or his followers might do to him.
- Multiple reports state that Judge Melissa Damian was angry about Armstrong’s absence. The influencer’s attorney, Jason Rindenau, said BitBoy could appear before the court in May while he attends the Miami Bitcoin conference.
- In response, Damian said she would issue a warrant for Armstrong’s arrest if he does not appear before Monday. She also said she would report his conduct to the FBI and ordered him to stop publicly communicating about Moskowitz, an order he has already violated.
- «It’s strange that people don’t realize I have real lawyers who actually know how to practice law, unlike the ambulance-chasing Adam Moskowitz,» said BitBoy on Thursday. «I’m not flying by the seat of my pants out here.»
- BitBoy himself filed a defamation suit last year against fellow YouTuber Erling Mengshoel Jr (also known as «Atozy»), but later dropped the charges following public backlash.
