Venezuelan authorities have arrested Rosa María González, a key suspect in the multi-million dollar Generación Zoe cryptocurrency scheme. González, who had been a fugitive for nearly four years, is accused of fleeing with approximately 611 Bitcoin, worth around $56 million at the time, following the platform’s collapse. This arrest marks a significant development one year after the scheme’s leader was sentenced to prison.
Venezuelan police in San Cristóbal have arrested Rosa María González, a major suspect in the Generación Zoe crypto scam. The platform defrauded investors of over $120 million before its collapse nearly four years ago.
González had been on the run since mid-2022 with an Interpol red notice issued for her arrest. She is accused of escaping with about 611 Bitcoin, valued at $56 million at the time, leaving investors unable to recover their funds.
The arrest comes exactly one year after the network’s leader, Leonardo Cositorto, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. González was reportedly responsible for developing the trading algorithms that “could help investors generate up to 70 percent monthly returns” with purported “quantum security.”
Investigators stated that Generación Zoe promised returns of up to 7.5 percent on stakes and used new investor funds to pay earlier participants. González lived in Buenos Aires on a temporary permit before fleeing to Venezuela, where she was located with her sister.
This development highlights the cross-border challenges in prosecuting financial fraud and recovering stolen digital assets. The platform’s masterminds ultimately left the majority of its thousands of investors with significant losses.
