Did Aurélien Michel want to scam those who would have bought him NFTs, a kind of digital work of art? This is what the American authorities think, who on Wednesday arrested this young Breton, son of footballer Coco Michel, himself a footballer, Le Télégramme reports this Saturday, largely repeating the press release published by the office of the US attorney.
This Frenchman, now living in the United Arab Emirates, is accused of “having defrauded NFT buyers Mutant Ape Planet » up to $2.9 million. Aurélien Michel is therefore accused of having “promised many rewards and advantages intended to increase the demand and value” of NFTs, but of having left the project by taking all the money from investors.
“NFT Buyers Mutant Ape Planet thought they were investing in a trendy new collectible, but they were deceived and received none of the promised benefits,” said Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New York. “Once the NFTs are exhausted, (Aurelian) Michel would have ceased communications and withdrawn the funds from the buyers”, supports for its part, in this same press release, the service in charge of the investigations since the filing of a complaint, also published online, at the beginning of the year 2022 .
Blame it on a “far too toxic” community
According to the American prosecutor, Aurélien Michel admitted the scheme during the investigations, but rejected any responsibility. The Frenchman thus blamed the community of NFT buyers, arguing that it had “become far too toxic”. He was arrested Wednesday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, as he intended to fly to the United Arab Emirates.
Aurélien Michel is not unknown in France. He is the son of Coco Michel, legendary player of En avant Guingamp (EAG) where he is now part of the coaching staff. Aurélien Michel, 24, had tried to follow in his father’s footsteps: trained at the EAG, he was a player in Lannion and Ploumagoar.