Vanessa Roberts Avery, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that Dylan Meissner, 31, from Westport, has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. The sentencing was delivered by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford. Meissner will also serve two years of supervised release following his imprisonment for stealing over $4 million from his former employer.
Court documents reveal that Meissner held the position of Vice President of Finance at a cryptocurrency research firm. He had access to the firm's cryptocurrency wallets and bank accounts. In January 2022, he secured a loan of 50 Ethereum (valued at approximately $170,000) from his employer under the pretense of avoiding significant losses on personal cryptocurrency investments.
From February 2022 until his termination in November 2022, Meissner diverted funds from his employer to cover personal trading losses. He concealed these actions through false entries in the company's records. His fraudulent activities resulted in the theft of about $4,461,828.
Judge Shea has ordered Meissner to pay restitution totaling $4,633,424.99. This amount includes both the stolen funds and the unpaid loan.
Currently released on a $100,000 bond, Meissner is scheduled to report to prison on February 21.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation into this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Novick prosecuted the case.