SafeMoon CEO Sentenced to Over 8 Years as Judge Calls Scheme “Theft”

A US federal judge sentenced Braden John Karony, the former CEO of SafeMoon, to 100 months in prison, following his conviction for fraud tied to the collapse of the once-hyped Solana token.

US District Judge Eric Komitee delivered the sentence after hearing emotional victim testimony and forceful arguments from prosecutors, who accused Karony of exploiting investor trust while secretly diverting funds.

The court also scheduled a separate hearing on restitution and financial penalties for April 23.

“This Was a Massive Fraud”: Judge Rejects Defense Pleas

During sentencing, Judge Komitee dismissed defense arguments that Karony’s age and background should mitigate his punishment.

“This was a massive fraud,” the judge said, adding that Karony and his co-conspirators “went to great pains to earn the trust” of investors by repeatedly assuring them that a rug pull was impossible.

Victims described losing life savings, selling personal assets, and delaying home ownership and education plans. 

Several said they invested because Karony made himself highly visible and trustworthy, contrasting him with Bitcoin’s anonymous creator.

Prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence, arguing Karony showed no remorse and understood the consequences of lying to investors. 

The judge ultimately imposed a shorter but still substantial sentence of 8 years and 4 months.

How SafeMoon Collapsed

SafeMoon launched in 2021 with promises of long-term rewards and a “locked” liquidity pool that executives claimed could not be accessed.

Federal prosecutors later alleged that those claims were false. 

According to the case, insiders retained control over the liquidity and misappropriated millions of dollars, while publicly assuring investors their funds were safe.

Authorities said Karony personally benefited from diverted assets while continuing to promote the token and deny any risk of a rug pull.

The prosecution framed the scheme as deliberate deception, not mismanagement or market failure. A jury agreed, convicting Karony on fraud-related counts earlier this year.

With today’s sentence, the SafeMoon case joins a growing list of crypto prosecutions where courts have treated broken trust and liquidity abuse as criminal theft, not innovation gone wrong.