Crypto Burglar Known as ‘GothFerrari’ Draws 78-Month Prison Term

A US judge has sentenced a California man known as GothFerrari to 78 months in prison for his role in a crypto social engineering ring that turned to home burglaries when victims could not be deceived online.

Marlon Ferro, 20, of Santa Ana, also faces $2.5 million in restitution and three years of supervised release.

Inside the $250 Million Crypto Theft Ring

A multi-year federal investigation revealed that the enterprise drained more than $250 million in cryptocurrency from victims between late 2023 and early 2025. Its members operated out of California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and overseas.

The crew specialized in roles that included database hacking, target identification, fraudulent phone calls, and money laundering. When social engineering failed, the ring sent Ferro to physically steal hardware wallets from victims’ homes.

“Marlon Ferro served as the criminal enterprise’s instrument of last resort… they turned to Ferro to break into homes and steal hardware wallets outright,” US Attorney Pirro said.

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Brick-Through-Window Crypto Burglaries and Designer Spending

According to the press release, in February 2024, Ferro broke into a home in Winnsboro, Texas, and stole a hardware wallet. The device held roughly 100 Bitcoin (BTC), then valued at more than $5 million.

That July, Ferro went to New Mexico and surveilled a residence with a hidden cell phone. He smashed a window with a brick when co-conspirators tracking the victim’s iCloud account signaled the home was empty.

Beyond burglaries, Ferro laundered funds for the ring. Using fake identification from a foreign national, he opened a geo-blocked payment card account. The setup funneled over $255,000 in designer clothing to co-conspirators.

Stolen money also bankrolled extravagant spending. Court papers cite nightclub tabs of up to $500,000 per night and Hermès Birkin bags. Private jets and exotic cars valued up to $3.8 million were also part of the haul.

Authorities arrested Ferro in May 2025 with two firearms in his possession. He pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering-influenced and corrupt organization

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