The FBI is dropping its investigation into Kraken Crypto Exchange founder Jesse Powell, according to documents filed by Powell this week. Kraken was previously under investigation for possibly breaking federal restrictions by offering services to Iranians. The Kraken Co-Founder shortly after stepped down from his post, but had been under investigation by the FBI for some time.
In an email statement to Fortune, Powell expressed relief that the probe has ended. However, he added that he intends to continue his civil lawsuit against members of Verge’s board. “The FBI’s raid on my house was devastating both personally and professionally. It is still shocking that the raid was premised on Verge Center for the Arts baseless accusations against me. I knew that I had done nothing wrong, and discovery in my defamation case against Verge has shown this is undeniable,” said Powell.
Authorities launched the investigation after allegations surfaced in early 2022 that Powell had hacked into Verge’s accounts and blocked access to key messages, claims that he strongly denied. Powell was removed from the Verge Center for the Arts’ board of directors, leading to his lawsuit against the Verge Center.
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Brandon Fox, Powell’s attorney, received a declination letter from the DOJ confirming the probe’s closure. Fox indicated this development was important for restoring Powell’s reputation and Kraken’s regulatory standing. The FBI has also returned to Powell the devices seized from him before the raid, but it is unclear if his crypto holdings were stored on those devices.