Homero "Josh" Garza, swindler of $20M through GAWMiners, CoinSwap and PayBase, has finally admitted his guilt and accepted a plea deal with the US Department of Justice and the FBI and the according to Allen Shinners, who is assisting the feds and leading the civil suit. The SEC is also seeking a $10M judgement against Garza.

High-school dropout Garza bilked millions of dollars, mostly in Bitcoin, from thousands of duped customers who purchased fake mining "Hashlets" and a doomed Bitcoin alternative, “Hashcoin,” renamed “Paycoin,” which was, in fact, a very poorly developed Peercoin clone. Peercoin, Paycoin and Bitcoin are known as digital or "crypto currencies."

Garza's first career venture was also suspect. Garza was ordered to return a $64,000 grant from the State of Vermont for failing to render services promised, and leaving customers throughout New England without paid-for Internet access and telephone service. Garza’s career was off to a bad start from day one. His little startup, GAW High Speed Internet, was launched under the name Great Auk Wireless in 2005, according to documents from the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office, and folded shortly thereafter.

Garza subsequently founded GAWMiners and GAWLabs with an unlikely personal mentor and friend, Stuart Fraser of Cantor Fitzgerald, in which GAW stands for “Geniuses At Work.” Fraser’s name gave credibility to Garza’s ventures. Stuart Fraser, then vice chairman of the New York City investment firm, has denied any involvement with GAW Miners, but a blurry screenshot from his former LinkedIn profile in 2014 clearly shows otherwise:

Burned customers worldwide are celebrating the news published today from Allen Shinners, (AKA Allen1980s online,) who is leading a civil suit, called the GAWsuit, and helping various federal agencies prosecute Garza and Fraser, who are accused of operating an illegal Ponzi scheme.

Above: Josh Garza ( R ) Poses with CTO Joe Mordica in Non-Functioning “Data Center”

Published today on BitcoinTalk:

From Allen1980s: FBI/Department of Justice Will be Contacting You. Good News. Hello Everyone.

This message is NOT related to “GAWsuit,” but to the federal criminal prosecution of Josh Garza. You need to read it.

As you all know, I have been helping the FBI in their criminal case against GAW Miners et al. It has been a long time now.

The law does not move quickly in the United States, but when it does, it is often a very good thing.

I was on a conference call with the FBI/DOJ on Friday, March 31st, 2017. I cannot go into too much detail, but here are the important parts:

A plea deal has been reached in the criminal case against Garza.

A specific restitution amount has been agreed to.

The hearing, for the plea deal, is sometime in May or June. Sentencing, for prison time, will be not long thereafter.

Those of you who had uploaded your supporting documents, including your real names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, etc., will be contacted directly by the FBI/DOJ “Victims’ Advocates.” What they are looking for, is how this fraud has affected you directly (adversely). I know how much many of you have lost, and it is important that you respond to the FBI/DOJ advocates when they contact you. It may affect how the judge decides the period of time Garza will spend in prison.

Those who feel it is important to show up to the actual sentencing will be given the location, time and date of the sentencing. You will get a chance to address the judge directly.

However, those who do not wish to attend directly, will be allowed to write a letter to the judge explaining how the fraud affected you and your family personally, or in some cases, your business. The advocates will give you the format the letters should be in, as well as the address or email address where they are to be sent here in the United States. Please do not hesitate to respond to the advocates. Respond as quickly as possible so that you do not miss the deadline.

As for our civil case, it is proceeding. Hopefully, I will be able to make a formal announcement soon.

If you have any questions, please direct them to the Victims’ Advocates directly, after they contact you. If you do not hear from them within the next two weeks, please send me an email, and I will check on their status for you.

Best regards, Allen

Garza’s victims, including the author, who expected another whole year’s wait for the latest court date recently set, will be relieved to see justice served that much sooner, and are already expressing pleasure online to see Garza finally admit his guilt.

Above: Screenshot from Bitcointalk.org

Follow for updates.

Anonymous Artist’s Rendering of Garza with Hashlets