TL;DR:
- On-chain detective ZachXBT identified Dritan Kapllani Jr. as allegedly responsible for a theft of 185 BTC (approx. $19 million).
- A criminal complaint against Trenton Johnson, an alleged accomplice, revealed a direct connection to Kapllani Jr.’s Exodus wallet.
- A joint operation between the Department of Justice and the FBI resulted in 276 arrests and the closure of nine crypto scam centers.
This Tuesday, researcher ZachXBT revealed the identity of Dritan Kapllani Jr., a U.S. citizen allegedly linked to the theft of approximately $19 million in digital assets. The report notes that the funds, equivalent to 185 BTC, were stolen using social engineering techniques.
1/ Meet Dritan Kapllani Jr, a US based threat actor tied to $19M from social engineering thefts targeting crypto holders.
Dritan flexes luxury cars, watches, private jets, & clubs all over social media.
Recently he was recorded on a call showing off a wallet with stolen funds. pic.twitter.com/iDKyUjUm4M
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) May 12, 2026
The investigation details that the suspect publicly displayed a luxury lifestyle, including private jets and high-end watches. According to ZachXBT’s report, the blockchain trail directly connects these acquisitions to funds stolen from various cryptocurrency holders.
Links to the Trenton Johnson Case and Money Laundering
Technical documentation presented by the researcher associates the Ethereum wallet ending in 0x4487 with the theft of 185 BTC that occurred on March 14. On that date, the assets had an estimated value of $13 million. ZachXBT data indicates that Kapllani Jr. allegedly received $5.3 million in his Exodus wallet just one day after the incident.
On May 11, a criminal complaint against Trenton Johnson for the same 185 BTC theft was made public. Although Kapllani Jr. is mentioned as “Co-Conspirator 1” (CC-1) in official documents, he has not yet been formally charged. Johnson, meanwhile, could face a sentence of up to 40 years in prison for his involvement.
The network of those involved also includes figures from the memecoin environment. Prosecutors accused an influencer known as Yelo of facilitating money laundering through a vehicle rental business in Miami. Authorities estimate a possible sentence of up to 30 years in prison for this individual.
Global Operation and Closure of Scam Centers
The financial trail left by the suspect allowed for the identification of five other high-confidence thefts carried out during 2025. According to ZachXBT’s review, Kapllani Jr. used fund mixing services just minutes after the 185 BTC theft, matching patterns detected in other Bitcoin wallets linked to social engineering scams in August and September of last year.
Last Friday, the Department of Justice and the FBI executed a coordinated action that resulted in the arrest of 276 suspects. The operation included collaboration from the Dubai Police and Thai authorities. Reports indicate that nine centers operating under corporate structures to execute “pig-butchering” schemes were shut down.
Meta Platforms, Inc. played an active role in the investigation. According to official company data, more than 159 million fraudulent ads were removed during 2025. Additionally, the firm reported blocking 10.9 million user accounts related to scam centers across various social platforms.
The detained suspects are expected to face federal charges for wire fraud and money laundering in the coming weeks. For now, Kapllani Jr. remains under investigator scrutiny while his final legal status is determined.
