A 21-year-old French crypto user, Thomas Clausi, has been handed an 18-month prison sentence and a hefty €3.4 million fine in Morocco for the illegal use of cryptocurrency. Clausi was found guilty of “fraud” and “illegal use of cryptocurrency” by the Moroccan courts, which consider the use of cryptocurrency illegal.
The case against Clausi began in 2021 when he used Bitcoin to purchase a luxury car, which Moroccan customs deemed an illegal transfer of funds. He was arrested in December 2021 and sentenced last October to prison time in addition to the hefty fine.
The legal proceedings were triggered by a French woman living in Casablanca, who accused Clausi of “fraud” after selling him a Ferrari in exchange for a Bitcoin payment worth €400,000.
Clausi faced further legal trouble when a Moroccan citizen accused him of issuing a bad check in the name of a third person to purchase three luxury watches. The court has ordered him to compensate the watch owner €3,900.
“He has one month and a few days left in prison,” shared Clausi’s lawyer, Mohamed Aghanaj.
Morocco is known for being tough against illegal cyber activities. Earlier this year, Moroccan authorities extradited another French citizen, Sébastien Raoult, to the US to face criminal charges related to cybercrimes.
Raoult is suspected of being a member of the notorious hacker group, ShinyHunters, which is accused of stealing and selling data from a host of major companies.
According to Clausi’s father, the young man had relocated to Morocco to establish a neobank in Africa. However, his illegal use of cryptocurrency has resulted in severe legal consequences.
This case serves as a reminder that the use of cryptocurrency is not always legal and that individuals should exercise caution and comply with local laws and regulations.
