QUADRIGA INITIATIVE
CRYPTO WATCHDOG & FRAUD RECOVERY PLATFORM
A COMMUNITY-BASED, NOT-FOR-PROFIT
$2 900 000 USD
MARCH 2022
GLOBAL
MUTANT APE PLANET
DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS
"The Mutant Apes Planet (MAP) is an NFT collection of 9,999 Mutant Ape Planet NFT with a community focus. Each NFT is algorithmically generated using a combination of over 150 attributes such as hats, eyes, skins and much more !" "Each Mutant Ape Planet allows its owner to be part of an exclusive community giving different perks and experiences to its holders. We are not associated in any way from any projects we derive from."
"POST SELL-OUT - Launch of our Merch Collection - Creation of a MAP token with staking features (De-Fi) - Community wallet for marketing campaigns and raffles among our holders - Acquisition of Metaverse land and expansion"
"It will be available for purchase on our website through an initial sale.
At the time of purchase, a randomly selected NFT will be minted on the blockchain and delivered to your wallet and OpenSea account.
Once the public sale is closed, you can get a Mutant Ape on the secondary market (on OpenSea)."
"The easiest way is to install a MetaMask extension in your Chrome browser and link your Ethereum wallet to it.
Ensure you have enough ETH in your wallet to cover the cost of a NFT plus the associated transaction (gas) fees.
Approve the transaction on MetaMask and you are all set.
The Mutant Ape will be available to mint on our official website."
"Mint Price will be 0,15 ETH + Gas"
"Once minted, you'll just need to login into your OpenSea account to view your NFTs."
"Initially perceived as a competitor to Mutant Ape Yacht Club by Yuga Labs, the Mutant Ape Planet collection quickly gained traction in the NFT space."
"Michel sought to take advantage of the broader ape-themed NFT trend in 2022 by offering 9,999 images of mutant apes that were minted starting on Feb. 4. The NFTs, sold on the Ethereum blockchain, cost about $468 each when the collection launched, based on the price of the Ether at the time, the US said."
"The marketing strategy Michel and his associates employed was based on false promises. They lured investors with the prospect of rewards and benefits, artificially inflating the demand for the Mutant Ape Planet NFTs. However, these commitments were never honored. Instead, the funds were diverted for personal use, a classic case of misrepresentation and breach of trust in the digital assets market."
"However a discord user by the name HTmadge took over the project and somehow convinced the original founder to hand over the OpenSea collection so he could take over and try and restore its glory. With amazing dedication htmadge brought together a witch hunters club which sole-" "Purpose was to track down the founder and bring justice, and by looks like they have succeeded! If it wasn’t to htmadge and the team the founder would have probably gotten away with it. Now we hope the nft project can be restored back to its glory"
"According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, Michel and his co-conspirators marketed the NFTs to purchasers by falsely promising them numerous rewards and benefits designed to increase demand for, and the value of, their newly acquired NFTs. But Michel and his co-conspirators intentionally failed to deliver on these promises, diverting millions of dollars’ worth of proceeds for their personal benefit while continuing to represent that the benefits would be forthcoming."
"Federal investigators #arrested #AurelienMichel,theCreatorOfThe #NFT collection #MutantApePlanet,lastWeek forSupposedlyArranging a“NFT #rugpull”fraud.Michel walkedAway with millionsOf$ from numerous other identical #scams,according to popular blockchain expert ZachXBT on Friday."
"Aurelien Michel, the mastermind behind the Mutant Ape Planet NFT collection, has entered a guilty plea for wire fraud conspiracy in a federal court in New York."
"Following his admission of the “rug pull” in a social media chat, Michel now faces a maximum of five years in prison. Additionally, he has agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution. This outcome serves as a reminder of the legal boundaries that govern even the most modern and digital marketplaces."
"Once a thriving community, the Mutant Ape Planet collection has since been removed from the OpenSea platform."
“Aurelien Michel enticed investors with promises of capitalizing on the NFT trend, only to abandon the project after amassing nearly $3 million in what’s described as a ‘rug-pull scheme.’ The defendant, accused of misleading the Mutant Ape NFT community, claimed innocence and even labeled victims as ‘too toxic.’ However, these attempts to evade responsibility came to a conclusion with today’s plea,” stated Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent in Charge of HSI New York. “In the face of evolving investment landscapes, HSI remains vigilant, utilizing cutting-edge tools to safeguard individuals from unscrupulous actors and their attempts to exploit well-meaning investors.”
“While Michel purported to sell dream NFTs backed with rewards and benefits, he defrauded investors, turning their dream into a nightmare of deception and losses. There is no excusing this kind of greed, and today’s guilty plea brings Michel one step closer to realizing his own nightmare—behind bars,” said Thomas M. Fattorusso, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-CI New York.
The Mutant Ape Planet collection, initially perceived as a competitor to Mutant Ape Yacht Club, gained traction but faced controversy as Michel and his associates failed to fulfill their promises and continued to use marketing strategies to artificially inflate demand. Michel ultimately walked away with millions of dollars after complaining that the community was too toxic for him. Members of the community took over control of the project and continued to operate it, trying to obtain justice and bring the collection back to prominence. Aurelien Michel, the creator of the Mutant Ape Planet NFT collection, was arrested in January 2023 and ultimately pled guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in a federal court in New York. He has agreed to pay $1.4 million in restitution and faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The Mutant Ape Planet collection has subsequently been removed from the OpenSea platform over copyright issues.
@Soheil_SBabaei Twitter (Jan 13)
https://opensea.io/collection/mutant-ape-planet (Nov 21)
Mutant Ape Planet - Collection | OpenSea (Nov 21)
Mutant Ape Planet - Collection | OpenSea (Nov 21)
Mutant Ape Planet - Collection | OpenSea (Nov 21)
Mutant Ape Planet (Nov 21)
@eddy_fazly Twitter (Nov 21)
@CryptoSkyArt Twitter (Nov 21)
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@JustasimpleNFT Twitter (Nov 21)
@NFTjmack Twitter (Nov 21)
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@junior89127154 Twitter (Nov 21)
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@olekrav Twitter (Nov 21)
@Soheil_SBabaei Twitter (Nov 21)
@Soheil_SBabaei Twitter (Nov 21)
@GamefolioGG Twitter (Nov 21)
@Soheil_SBabaei Twitter (Nov 21)
@pekaslizzy Twitter (Nov 21)
@CT_AgainstCrowd Twitter (Nov 21)
@cryptomode Twitter (Nov 21)
Navigating the NFT Fraud Waters: The Fall of Mutant Ape Planet – CryptoMode (Nov 21)
Eastern District of New York | Nonfungible Token (NFT) Developer Pleads Guilty to an International Scheme to Defraud NFT Purchasers | United States Department of Justice (Nov 21)
@Wealthopia_ Twitter (Nov 21)
@mutantapeplanet Twitter (Nov 21)
@mutantapeplanet Twitter (Nov 21)
@planet_mutant Twitter (Nov 21)
@planet_mutant Twitter (Nov 21)
@lilwangeth Twitter (Nov 21)
@iamjuzjai Twitter (Nov 21)
@mutantapeplanet Twitter (Nov 21)
@mutantapeplanet Twitter (Nov 21)
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@electro_perfect Twitter (Nov 21)
@electro_perfect Twitter (Nov 21)