Andrew Katz, aka Ross Katz aka Drew Katz aka Stark Katz, a serial criminal who, at various times over the past seven years has claimed to be a “crypto entrepreneur” (operating through an entity known as “Seaquake”), and more recently, profiles himself on LinkedIn * as a “Fintech and “AI entrepreneur”, has fled Florida after being convicted on 4 charges of felony assault against law enforcement officers.
Fugitive Andrew Katz, aka Drew Katz, aka Ross Katz
*Note: In addition to using multiple aliases, Katz has recently taken to creating at least two LinkedIn accounts in an effort to obfuscate. In addition to the above LinkedIn profile, he is apparently using this LinkedIn profile, while he remains a fugitive from Miami-Dade County law enforcement.
Katz has been profiled via this outlet multiple times for his role in advancing securities fraud schemes, including defrauding crypto industry pioneer Brock Pierce, and for arrests on charges of assault, harassment, and stalking in Los Angeles and New York City. After being convicted in New York, in February 2022, Katz had already fled Manhattan for Miami, and a fugitive warrant was issued by New York authorities.
The latest event, which had Katz assaulting three police officers while they were attempting to arrest him on a domestic violence charge, led to his being convicted on four felony charges.
Katz is now being sought by Florida state law enforcement agencies. Those who have information as to Katz’s latest whereabouts are requested to contact the Miami-Dade County Department of Probation via 305-694-2876. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND THIS INDIVIDUAL; HE IS CONSIDERED TO BE ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
Andrew Ross Katz aka Drew Katz aka Ross Katz aka Stark Katz, the former co-founder of a crypto criminal enterprise known to have used a labyrinth of shell companies under the name “Seaquake” to defraud investors such as crypto pioneer Brock Pierce, and an individual who claims to be a “fintech entrepreneur” whose criminal arrest record extends over 10 years across California, Colorado, New York, and Florida, pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges in Miami-Dade County Court this week.
Prior reporting of this incident can be found here.
Katz pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges displayed above, stemming from an April 2021 incident in which Katz assaulted three Miami-Dade County police officers that responded to a domestic violence call made by Katz’s girlfriend from his Miami Beach luxury condominium at 2020 North Bayshore Drive, Unit 1203.
Despite the nature of the charges, which called for a mandatory jail sentence, and despite a lengthy criminal arrest record for similar charges in other jurisdictions, Katz was sentenced to three years probation. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, led by Katherine Fernandez Rundle, did not respond to inquiries as to why no jail sentence was requested by the 28-year-old State Attorney Tyler Cass, the designated prosecutor assigned to the case.
Katz, who recently deleted all references on his LinkedIn profile to his former enterprise, Seaquake.io, now proclaims to be a founder of an “AI” initiative. Caveat Emptor.
Andrew Katz, the self-described CEO of “crypto trading firm” Seaquake.io, an individual whose escapades for defrauding investors and threatening those who have filed complaints against him have been profiled via this platform and other platforms for several years.
In addition to his ongoing efforts to dupe investors (with the latest attempt revealed below), Katz, who also uses the names Ross Katz and Stark Katz, and whose criminal arrest record extends nearly 10 years in four different states, is once again facing felony assault charges, this time in Miami, Florida. Miami-Dade County court records reveal that Katz faces multiple felony charges (Case # 13-2021-CF-005707-0001 ), including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, false imprisonment, and witness tampering.
ON ABOVE DATE AND TIME THE FOLLOWING VICTIM OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A DOMESTIC DISPUTE INVOLVING THE DEFENDANT AND HIS PREGNANT GIRLFRIEND AT THEIR APARTMENT AT ABOVE LOCATION, MIAMI POLICE CASE NUMBER 2104010020299.
UPON ARRIVAL THE OFFICERS WERE ADVISED THAT THE FEMALE VICTIM WAS PREGNANT AND WAS BLEEDING. THE DEFENDANT REFUSED TO OPEN THE DOOR AFTER SEVERAL REQUESTS AND WAS WARNED THAT FORCED ENTRY WAS JUSTIFIED FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF THE VICTIM. THE VICTIM OPENED THE DOOR AND THE DEFENDANT ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON THE OFFICERS. SGT. CARLOS MENDEZ# 04714 CAUGHT HIS LEFT ARM IN THE DOOR JAM, THE DEFENDANT GRABBED HIS ARM AND HYPEREXTENDED HIS ARM AND ELBOW BETWEEN THE DOOR AND DOOR JAM. FORCE ENTRY WAS MADE INTO THE APARTMENT TO TAKE THE DEFENDANT INTO CUSTODY.
THE DEFENDANT CONTINUED TO RESIST ARREST NOW USING VIOLENCE TOWARD ALL THREE OFFICERS AND WAS FIGHTING OFFICERS BACK INTO THE HALLWAY. DURING THE STRUGGLE TO TAKE THE DEFENDANT INTO CUSTODY, THE DEFENDANT GRABBED OFFICER MARCOS MARRERO #42514 TAZER AND ATTEMPTED TAKE IT SEVERAL TIMES. THE DEFENDANT THEN TOOK LT. RODOLFO BERTRAND #00377 RADIO DEPRIVING HIM OF RADIO COMMUNICATION. AFTER BEING TAZERED THE DEFENDANT WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. SGT. MENDEZ #4714 RECEIVED INJURIES TO HIS LEFT ARM AND ELBOW. OFC. MARRERO #42514 HAD MINOR SCRATCHES TO HIS ARMS RECEIVED DURING THE STRUGGLE FOR HIS TAZER. LT. R. BERTRAND HAD MINOR BUMPS AND BRUISES FROM THE STRUGGLE WHILE HANDCUFFING THE DEFENDANT. DEFENDANT WAS TRANSPORTED TO JMH ER-C FOR PRECAUTIONARY TREATMENT. DEFENDANT ARRESTED.
Despite a February 2022 conviction for assault in New York City (for which he purportedly failed to appear for sentencing), Miami-Dade County authorities released Katz, pending an upcoming court appearance, after he posted $75,000 bail.
Since the April 2021 arrest in Miami, Katz has undertaken a social media campaign to publish multiple ‘interviews’ on blogs that enable people to promote themselves in exchange for a fee. To deflect negative stories, he has featured himself as a “successful crypto industry entrepreneur”. Per the lower left image, one individual who was recently solicited by Katz has cried “Bullshit!”
Below is the warning alert submitted by that individual in August 2022 via “Dirty Scam.com” a blog that ‘outs’ scamsters.
Editor Note: Katz has systematically rebutted similar accusations by impersonating victims and those associated with the victims by posting “comments” that include an array of defamatory and false allegations in an effort to discredit the accusers.At the same time, and despite Orders of Protection issued by courts in three jurisdictions, Katz has advanced retribution campaigns using burner phones and anonymous email accounts to harass, physically threaten and intimidate those who have brought charges against him. What a brave guy!
Andrew Katz of Seaquake recently contacted me for investment and loan purposes. We met at a party and talked about our businesses. He was interested in what I do.
After a few drinks, he suggested that he could help me in many ways in my business. Talking about his outstanding achievements, he said his company has a huge turnover and is a great player within the crypto industry.
He did tell me about his partner. If I correctly remember the name, it was Matthew Krueger. Although I did not meet this man, Andrew had painted his picture for me. We exchanged numbers and parted to our ways.
Seaquake.io principals Andrew Katz (l), “CFO” Matthew Krueger (c), and “CIO” Dylan Knight
After a month, maybe, Andrew called. I recognized his voice right away. He said he was seeking some money for a considerable investment and would offer me a great deal in the profit earned. I was already excited about what he was offering.
But the amount was too huge. So, I asked him to arrange that kind of money for a couple of weeks. He was in a hurry and said that he could not wait. Then I asked him for two days. He sounded calm but still insisted on making it faster.
That was the red flag for me. In those few minutes, I did not ask about any paper works or any roadmap about the investment plan he had. But then it struck me mainly because he sounded too aggressive with the deal.
I started to Google him on the internet and his company. I was shocked that he was a fraud and a big liar. He has many felony charges to his name, and he is a wanted criminal. I called my lawyer right away and asked him to research this guy. To my surprise, he already knew Andrew.
I was saved. He told me everything about Andrew. This guy had felony charges for duping a family in Florida, assault charges, and whatnot. I blocked his number. However, I got a call from an unknown number after two days.
When I answered, it was Andrew. He started abusing me for leaving him in between a great deal after making promises. Without letting me speak, he went on talking rubbish. In the end, I shouted and asked him to calm down. I told him everything about what I knew.
He disconnected the call and never called back. This proves how great of a con artist this man is. He is a great liar and can easily make fake promises and boast about his non-existent company for hours. He can ruin your life without thinking about the consequences.
I give that to him. It is not easy to fool me, but he got me for some time. I am sure I had my lesson learned. And I am not going to believe anything he says anytime later. Stay away from this filth. He can burn your life instantly.
The individual who posted this experience did not provide his/her name and presumably posted anonymously in order to protect himself/herself from a barrage of retaliatory attacks from Katz.
All of this begs the question as to what other investors, including Crypto Industry Pioneer Brock Pierce and Blockchain Founders Fund, portrayed on the Seaquake.io website, have to say about all of this.
*Individual names and images of Seaquake investors were recently removed Seaquake website
Editors Note: Efforts to secure comments from Miami-Dade County State’s Attorney Office, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Investor(s) Brock Pierce, and Blockchain Founders Fund principal Aly Madhavji were not responded to.
For those not aware, Michael Novogratz, the famed crypto industry ‘pioneer’ and crypto evangelist is a former Goldman Sachs ‘global macro wunderkind’ who then did a stint at asset management firm Fortress Investments, which cratered during his watch, turned into a bitcoin evangelist and became the “bitcoin billionaire” brains behind “crypto investment firm” Galaxy Digital. He has a long history of making big bets with other people’s money. Unfortunately, his gambles have often turned into snake-eyes when the dice stopped rolling.
But that’s OK, his personal investment accounts weren’t exposed to the slaughter that was wreaked on Fortess’s institutional investors when his misguided bets on Brazil currency back in 2014 turned into sour coffee grinds. The losses on bets he made or oversaw devastated Fortess, yet the firm managed to extricate its stakeholders through an IPO, enabling Fortress executives to cash out with tens of millions of dollars each.
“At
Fortress troubles first surfaced in the macro funds run by Novogratz, a man
known for his glitzy lifestyle, complete with a Tribeca duplex once owned by
Robert De Niro and a flamboyant wardrobe featuring diamond-studded belts and
cowboy boots.”
He quit Fortress to start a firm to invest his own
wealth. He kept investigating bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, becoming more
serious about the investments.
Over time, Mr. Novogratz came to see them as a
“really cool new technology” that was likely better capable of storing value
amid rising inflation than alternatives, he said at a recent conference. Soon,
he was a true convert, buying $10 million of bitcoin and another cryptocurrency
called ether partly because he sensed a lack of trust in global currencies, he
said. See https://www.wsj.com/articles/mike-novogratzs-crypto-comeback-faces-a-trial-by-fire-11654315211
During the past five years, Novogratz has become the poster child for crypto and bitcoin, “talking his book” at every opportunity, and helping to lead thousands of blind mice investors to pump up the price of bitcoin and to plow hundreds of millions of dollars into his firm Galaxy Digital (OTCMKTS: BRPHF) so that he could “invest for them”—while reaping fees that would make most people’s eyes pop out.
Throughout the unprecedented bubble building in crypto “currencies”, Novogratz and many other evangelists/promoters including Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, Michael Saylor, Disney film star Brock Pierce, the Winklevoss twins, investing genius and former Donald Trump PR trumpeter Anthony Scaramucci, Internet Billionaire and Game Show Host Mark Cuban among so many others, have proclaimed that Bitcoin, Ether, Tether, and many others represent “a store of value”, “a hedge against inflation”, “a safe haven when traditional financial assets (stocks, bonds, sovereign currencies) suffer from global economic and geopolitical turmoil.” All the crypto evangelists, and in particular, famed hedge fund manager Ray Dalio, proclaim that Bitcoin and other so-called currencies represent the “digital version of gold“; which many global investors believe to be a useful hedging tool that should be part of every portfolio.
So let’s take a measure. Since January of 2022, the US equities markets (as measured by S&P 500 index, DJIA, as well as markets in many other advanced countries have suffered generational losses in share prices. The declines of 25% in value in equity prices are thanks to an inflationary spiral caused by supply-chain challenges brought on by Covid 19, monetary policies that created historic government hand-outs in an effort to stem the impact of Covid-19, along with a global geopolitical crisis thanks to Russia invading Ukraine, and a sober reaction to over-inflated enterprise valuations and hysterical stock market speculation. The combination of these events has almost no comparison when looking back five decades.
Yes, stock markets are cyclical and suffer bear markets and crashes; some short-lived, others longer-lasting. The global benchmark S&P 500 is off 24% from its Dec 2021 all-time high; the German Stock Market Index has shaved 20% from its high, and the Shanghai Stock Index is off 10%. Gold, the universal hedge against both geopolitical crisis and inflation, is up a scant 1% YTD. Bitcoin, the proclaimed “hedge against all of the above-noted crisis events” has plunged 69% from its stratospheric all-time high.
As of June 18 2022, Bitcoin has lost more than 60% of its “value” on a YTD basis.
Among other investments, Mike Novogratz, via Galaxy, was a big backer of Terra Luna–a platform based on Tether, the digital asset platform that was co-founded by another crypto genius, former child-actor Brock Pierce. He’s a self-proclaimed billionaire too–and many refer to him as the “Prince of Puerto Rico” in view of the real estate he has acquired and the influence he has over the swarm of crypto ‘entrepreneurs’ who have taken over much of that island.
Like Novogratz, Pierce is an active investor in a broad swath of crypto initiatives and start-ups, one of which is a phony funny, yet apparently, a fraudulent firm calling itself Seaquake.io, for which Pierce is identified as an advisor. It is also a criminal enterprise that MarketsMuse has profiled for the past two years, and its founder Andrew Katz, is now purportedly a fugitive from justice.
Let’s not forget that investments made by Galaxy included Novogratz and his partners receiving ‘tokens’ issued by the companies they invested in that were priced at pennies. Those tokens were no different than penny-priced ‘warrants’ given to underwriters of traditional IPO offerings.
After pumping the news of those investments, those tokens turned into ‘real money’ for the promoters—who cashed out into the frenzy and bought mansions and boats; reminiscent of the antics made famous by the infamous Jordan Belfort’s firm Stratton Oakmont—the underwriter for the 1993 IPO of shoe company started by Steve Madden.
[Belfort and Madden were then convicted of securities fraud and both went to jail. Flash forward to 2021, Jordan Belfort repurposed himself into a crypto evangelist and is minting millions by ‘advising’ people on how and what crypto deals to invest in.]
February 2021– Novogratz Sees Bitcoin at $100k
Bloomberg Technology- Michael
Novogratz, a long time proponent of cryptocurrencies through his firm Galaxy
Digital Holdings Ltd., said Bitcoin and other digital coins have become “an
institutional asset class” and banks are “frantically” trying to get in on the
action.
Mar 31 2022In Midst of Crypto Sell-Off, Novogratz Says “I’m More Constructive about the market than I was previously..” Michael Novogratz, the billionaire cryptocurrency investor who leads Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd., said that while he still expects a volatile year, he has become more “constructive” about digital-asset markets than he was earlier.
“It
wouldn’t surprise me to see crypto significantly higher by the end of the
year,” Novogratz said during Galaxy’s earnings conference call on Thursday.
“Given the adoption cycle I’m seeing, given the way markets trade, and how I
see new people wanting to get in, the innovation we’re seeing in web3 and the
metaverse space, I’ve gotten more constructive than I was at the beginning of
the year.”
No
surprise then that soon thereafter, while talking up bitcoin investing and
predicting meteoric price rises, he was selling stakes that his firm
Galaxy Digital held in various “cryptocurrencies”. Nice.
May 92022 CEO Michael Novogratz highlighted weakness across crypto and equity markets during Galaxy’s earnings call Monday, though said he isn’t “panicked by any stretch.” He added that his recent investor meetings point to growing adoption, and noted that “crypto as a tech play” is gaining momentum.
“Volatility will continue,” according to Mike Novogratz, although he said he expects bitcoin to hold around the $30,000 level and ether to stick around the $2,000 level.
June 5 2022Novogratz Says “Bitcoin Won’t Break $20k” speaking at the Morgan Stanley Financials Conference, the billionaire investor, known for always sharing his opinions on events surrounding the asset class, showcased his bullish stance on cryptocurrencies.
Novogratz
said he is confident that bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) would not crash below
$20,000 and $1,000, respectively.
The
crypto proponent stated that the two leading cryptocurrencies would hold
strongly at those levels while noting that the benchmark of S&P 500 (.SPX)
has dropped more than 20% from its record high earlier in January, and the
stock market might plummet further to 15% to 20%.
June 15 2022 “Crypto Crisis Evokes 1998 Hedge Fund Crash that Crippled Market”
That’s what Mike Novogratz, CEO of top crypto investment firm
Galaxy Digital, told CNBC Wednesday (June 15), referring to the 1998
collapse of a large and highly leveraged hedge fund that sent shockwaves so
large through the economy that the U.S. government was forced to intervene and
broker a $3.6 billion bailout.
June 18 2022 BTC sold down to $18,500.00
Our Editorial Team begs to ask the question, “Aside from making mediocre investment managers become multi-millionaires and billionaires, along with similar exponential gains in net worth for tens of hundreds (and upwards of many thousands of “innovators” and “disruptors”), what product or service, or what actual efficiency has been created for any industry that would justify the outsized gains in net worth afforded to a relatively few?” Contact Us to provide a rebuttal.
Andrew Ross Katz (aka Ross Katz), founder and CEO of Seaquake.io, a self-labeled “crypto trading firm” and “B2B service for cryptocurrency exchanges”, along with his partner, the firm’s Chief Financial Officer, Matthew Krueger of San Francisco, were first profiled by this outlet in September 2019 for their roles in defrauding a Family Office out of several hundred thousand dollars. And, while Katz remains at large–he continues to target a growing list of other unsuspecting victims.
Seaquake.io CEO Andrew Katz, A “Self-styled-Entrepreneur” Photo from “Pay-to-Promote-Yourself” Blog Techbullion
Andrew Ross Katz-“Crypto Entrepreneur” Mug Shot Photo April 2021 Arrest Florida Case # 13-2021-CF-005707-0001-XX
The gory details of that incident and the series of blatant misrepresentations made by those individuals became a matter of federal court record when a federal lawsuit was filed in Florida’s Middle District Court, merely several weeks after the ink was dry on the investment agreement with Katz, Krueger and the assortment of Seaquake connected shell companies under their control.
The supporting evidence to allegations of investor fraud made by the plaintiffs included investor documents executed by Andrew Katz, a smorgasbord of other evidence underscoring blatant misrepresentations and phony assertions made by Katz and Krueger as to their personal and professional backgrounds, the investment itself, along with an extensive file of email and other digital communications sent by Andrew Katz, and with copy to Krueger.
Seaquake.io principals Andrew Katz (l), “CFO” Matthew Krueger (c), and CIO Dylan Knight
According to the court documents, within days after the investors wired funds to a Seaquake entity, they learned of a series of misrepresentations made by Katz and Krueger, and demanded the return of their funds. In response, Katz and Krueger stated “they had no obligation to provide any information to the investors or the attorney for the investors, and would not respond further.” Days later, Katz and Krueger transferred the investor funds to other Seaquake bank accounts and to personal accounts in their names, and to a corporate account in which Katz’s father, Ken Katz of Arvada, Colorado is the registered agent. After transferring the funds, Katz and Krueger proceeded to dissolve the corporate registration of the entity to which the investors had sent their funds.
The preponderance of the incriminating evidence led the federal court judge to conclude the defendants had ‘touched the third rail’ of federal civil statutes pertaining to investor fraud and securities fraud. To mitigate further harm to investors, the judge issued an emergency temporary restraining order (TRO) that put a freeze on the variety of corporate bank accounts held by the web of Seaquake corporate entities controlled by Andrew Katz and Matthew Krueger, as well as the known personal bank and brokerage accounts held by Andrew Katz and Matthew Krueger. Days later, Katz and Krueger moved the funds again, first to cryptocurrency platform Coinbase, and then to cryptocurrency custody and trading platform, Binance.*
In view of the brazen nature of the fraud perpetrated by Mssrs. Katz and Krueger, this financial industry- published a series of follow-on articles profiling the activities of this ‘enterprise’, as well as Katz’s sordid prior criminal history, including recent Orders of Protection issued against Katz, a litany of criminal arrests across four different states over multiple years on charges of harassment, aggravated assault, weapons charges, breaking and entering, and stalking. The most recent known arrest occurred in April 2021 and took place in Miami, Florida, when Katz was charged with 11 Counts, including multiple charges for assaulting a police officer:
A February 2022 conviction for assault charges in New York stemmed from his March 2020 arrest in which Katz assaulted his now estranged wife. Law enforcement sources have indicated there is now a subsequent warrant for violating the second Order of Protection, and a fugitive warrant issued in New York for his arrest. Katz failed to appear for sentencing on the assault conviction, then fled the jurisdiction, and supposedly abandoned a $100,000 cash bond. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office would not comment or explain why those criminal records are sealed. The New York Criminal Court records are also sealed.
Great Track Record-For Arrests-Andrew Katz, Seaquake.io CEO
This platform also pointed to a conclusion by another expert that Seaquake principals committed SBA Loan Fraud relating to a forgivable PPP loan granted to the company in the midst of the pandemic crisis. Public records show that an application was processed and a loan received by Wyoming-registered Seaquake entity “Seaquake OPS LLC” that listed employees of the company which included Katz’s then-estranged wife, who was listed as “Creative Director”. According to informed sources, “she was never an employee, and never performed any work for the company”. When asked why that individual’s profile appeared on LinkedIn as “Creative Director” for Seaquake shortly before the loan application was submitted, the source stated “She had never created a LinkedIn profile for herself, any less one that would include a fictitious employment history.” The corporate registration for the Wyoming-domiciled Seaquake entity that received the SBA PPP loan was dissolved four months after Katz and Krueger received the funds from the SBA.
Cryptocurrency Meltdown Calls for a Re-Visit
As fortunes implode and the crypto industry becomes un-hinged, the cause and effect of scammers, charlatans, and Ponzi-style schemes
The intent of our editorial team has been to protect other investors from being duped by Katz and Krueger, and from any others advancing similar frauds against unsuspecting investors. In our expose, we also spotlighted several “legitimate” crypto and digital asset investment firms that, according to the Seaquake.io corporate website, have purportedly invested in the Seaquake enterprise without bothering to perform basic due diligence that would typically include interrogation of court databases and criminal background searches.
The crypto “investment firms” displayed on the Seaquake website include Percival Capital, operated by former Disney “Mighty Ducks” star turned world-famous crypto enthusiast and investor and aspiring political candidate Brock Pierce, along with industry investment firm Blockchain Founders Fund (“BFF”).
The Seaquake website had (until recently) displayed Pierce and BFF Managing Partner Aly Madhavji as Advisors to the firm. Other investors displayed include “SOSV ChinaAccelerator”, a China-based VC and PE firm, Sydney; Australia-based alternative asset investment firm “Artesian Ventures”, a firm called “ScaleX”, and a little-known investment firm “Red Spark”. The latter is operated by a Stephen Gill, who resides in New York and Puerto Rico. Gill is also displayed as an Advisor to Seaquake. These actors either purposefully chose not to perform a scintalla of due diligence for their own reasons, or simply overlook the red flags before they deployed their respective investors’ capital to the Seaquake enterprise.
Since April of this year, four different “pay-to-promote yourself” blogs have published “interviews” of Katz, each of which profiled him as a “crypto entrepreneur”. Each of those obscure blog platforms (“TechBullion.com”, “Laptopsforless.com”, “ScoopIt.com”, and “VentsMagazine.com”) display purported interviews by “journalists” (who each use pseudonyms,) and showcase background information for Andrew Katz that among other “virtues”, includes him (i) “having worked as a securities industry trader and traded “billions of dollars”; (ii) that he “earned a Masters in Finance from Harvard University”, and (iii) that “Seaquake has been generating profits within fifteen months of being created in 2018.”
“Interview with Andrew Katz” in “pay-to-promote your image” blog Bottom right image: New York Criminal Court Arrest Record Nov 2020
All very entertaining claims; yet all are false.
Financial Industry Background. Securities Industry regulator FINRA has NO record of Katz ever being employed in the industry. He claims to have worked for EFG Bank as a trader, yet a senior HR executive for EFG Bank stated “we have no record of his employment.”
UBS, the other financial industry firm that Katz claims to have worked for stated “we cannot confirm (or deny) having employed him.
2. “Academic Pedigree” “Harvard Masters in Finance”. Harvard University records indicate Katz did attend an online course for 1 year and earned a Master of Arts, (not Finance); comparable to degrees offered by the online University of Phoenix. As to other academic credentials, during his youth, Katz did briefly attend “World Wide Association of Specialty Programs”. This ‘school’ is “inthe business of serving desperate parents of troubled youths and specializes in improving the students’ aberrant social behavior..”
3. “Business Success“. The business he claims to be “generating profits since shortly after we were formed..”?
Katz disputes this himself in documents obtained from the civil lawsuit in Florida. Katz submitted an affidavit stating “investors were told the business is a start-up, does not generate revenue [no fewer profits] and is not expected to until first raising several million dollars in development capital.”
4. “Industry Entrepreneur.” Katz and Co also maintain personal and company Twitter accounts; each of which falls into the realm that Elon Musk has used to walk back his bid to acquire Twitter; the percentage of phony Twitter accounts is exponentially greater than what Twitter has stated in corporate filings. In this case, Katz’s personal Twitter account, @AndrewKCrypto (https://twitter.com/AndrewKCrypto) indicates his having 5346 followers. A simple interrogation discovered that all but ten of those followers are legitimate Twitter accounts. The rest are “bots” and all of those accounts are less than several months old, none have more than 5-10 followers; a classic ‘tell’ for those familiar with Twitter Inc.s failure to remove phony accounts. The same seems to be true for the Seaquake company Twitter account (@_Seaquake_); the account boasts nearly 5000 “followers”, yet 98% of which Elon Musk would say are “Phony Followers! All Bots!”
MarketsMuse has made repeated attempts to contact each of the investors displayed on the Seaquake website. Earlier this year, Ali Madhavji of Blockchain Founders Fund indicated that “BFF has no involvement with Seaquake”, yet his firm’s name remains prominent on the front page of the Seaquake.io website.
A representative of Percival Capital replied to us with a statement that “They [Seaquake] were not authorized to display Mr. Pierce on their website, and we requested them to remove that reference.” The Percival Capital representative did not dispute that Pierce and his firm are in fact investors. “SOSV” Managing Partner William Bao Bean stated that his firm is in fact an investor, but would provide no other information. Stephen Gill, nor any other individuals who seem to be affiliated with Red Spark or individuals associated with “Scalex” replied to a request for comment.
Law enforcement officials from Arvada, Colorado, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami are all familiar with Katz. They are aware that he uses aliases “Ross Katz” and “Stark Katz”, and of the assortment of harassment charges stemming from abusive messages and death threats delivered via email and burner phone [“purportedly’’] sent by Katz, each in retaliation against a variety of individuals, including those who have filed charges against him. Knowledgeable officials have suggested that ‘the tone and tenor of the messages, the history of arrest charges, the serial nature of his actions, and other corroborating records makes it clear that he [Katz] is a dangerous individual who continues to commit brazen acts.’ Added one expert, “It doesn’t take a trained criminal profiler to conclude that this individual will continue to pose a threat to others until such time as someone from the law enforcement community or a regulatory agency takes proactive measures.”
Begging the question as to how it is possible that Katz and his accomplice Matthew Krueger remain at large. Three former government prosecutors who are familiar with the matter expressed being “baffled” by the fact that Katz has been repeatedly arrested, but not successfully prosecuted and jailed. As to Katz’s current whereabouts, he was last sighted in April of this year, while mingling with Seaquake “co-founder” Dylan Knight at a Miami crypto industry conference. One individual who is known to be an acquaintance of Katz, and who requested anonymity, suggested that “he might be in a medical clinic and being treated Monkeypox.”
*The above-referenced Federal Civil Litigation was “dismissed without prejudice” on a technicality after the presiding judge ruled that the Florida Middle District Court had “no personal jurisdiction” over the defendants. Despite plaintiffs submitting evidence that Katz maintained a voter registration in Florida and that one of the Seaquake entities was incorporated in Florida, the judge recommended to plaintiffs that they re-file their action in a different court. One attorney who is only tangentially familiar with the case stated “The statute of limitations is still open for such an action to be advanced in the State of Colorado or the State of California.“
FEBRUARY 15 2022: ANDREW ROSS KATZ AKA ROSS KATZ WAS CONVICTED OF ASSAULT CHARGE IN NYC on Feb 7; FLEES AND FOREGOES $200K BAIL BOND; FUGITIVE WARRANT FOR ARREST ISSUED IN NEW YORK; KATZ NOW BELIEVED TO BE SENDING DEATH THREATS TO WITNESSES; CONSIDERED TO BE ARMED AND DANGEROUS
In a continuation of a bizarre story that MarketsMuse has been monitoring for more than two years, Andrew Ross Katz, the founder, and CEO of so-called digital asset/crypto trading firm Seaquake.io is now a fugitive after failing to appear for a series of court dates in New York Criminal Court and since being convicted on Feb 7 2022 of assault charges that were first brought in November 2020.
Court: New York Criminal Court Case # CR-020482-20NY (PUBLIC RECORDS EXPUNGED)
Arrest Date & Time: November 5 2020 09:30 Arrest
#:M20629660
New York Criminal Court File CR-020482-20NY
According to confidential sources, the ADA prosecuting the case had been warned at the early stages of the criminal proceedings of Katz’s extensive criminal background in multiple states, and that the ADA had been lobbied to request the court to deny bail, as the defendant should have been considered a flight risk. Katz’s criminal arrest record extends over many years in cities that include his hometown of Arvada, CO, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Katz’s most recent arrest apparently took place in late 2021 in Miami, during the same time a cryptocurrency convention was being held in that town.
As to the charge of Aggravated Harassment, according to multiple sources, this particular charge is consistent with a behavior pattern that Katz has perpetrated repeatedly over the past years against various people (unrelated to the current charges). No less than four individuals who have had ‘run-ins’ with Katz, including former landlords, relatives, and aggrieved investors have each independently contacted MarketMuse to share respective incidences in which Katz has tormented them with physical threats via voice message and text messages sent by ‘burner phones’, as well as defamatory messages that Katz has posted on social media platforms, all in effort to intimidate these individuals in retribution for legitimate complaints they had made against him in various jurisdictions.
Editors note: Fugitive Katz’s ‘aberrant behavior’ seems to extend back to his adolescence, according to public court filings. While in his teens, he was dispatched by his parents to a Utah-based ‘educational facility operated by “World Wide Association of Specialty Programs” that, according to public records, “is in the business of serving desperate parents of troubled youths and specializes in improving the students’ aberrant social behavior..” Per link above, fugitive Katz and Alyson Katz (Andrew Katz’s mother) were members of a class-action lawsuit brought against “WWSPS”. (That suit was dismissed in 2011).
Crypo Firm Co-Founder Andrew Ross Katz aka Ross Katz aka Stark Katz
According to informed sources, soon after his disappearance last week, Katz has purportedly commenced a series of death threats against a separate individual (and immediate family members), who is a victim of financial fraud that Katz and partner, Matthew J. Krueger of San Francisco are alleged to have committed back in 2019. It is believed the [purported] death threats that came from Katz (“purportedly, yet with high probability”, according to law enforcement officers familiar with the matter), are part and parcel to a lengthy history of intimidation tactics that Katz has exacted in retribution on those have filed charges against him.
Seaquake’s Matthew Krueger (l), Fugitive Andrew R. Katz (r)
To the amazement of those interviewed and familiar with the apparent criminal activities of Katz, Krueger, and associated entities, the individuals’ profiles, and respective current Seaquake.io executive roles remain displayed and promoted on LinkedIn (e.g. Andrew Katz, Founder & CEO; Matthew Krueger, “Partner & CFO” and the company’s website, which continues to publish “updates” that suggest the firm offers a range of “crypto trading and fintech applications and services to the cryptocurrency industry”. That website also displays a number of crypto industry investment firms that have purportedly made investments in Seaquake.
Most recent updates to that website suggest that funds managed by Crypto Industry Pioneer Brock Pierce‘s Percival Ventures, along with those from Blockchain Founders Fund, whose senior principal is Aly Madhavji, are investors in Seaquake. Both Pierce (a 2020 presidential candidate) and Madhavji are displayed as Advisors to the company on the Seaquake website. Sources have told MarketsMuse that Madhavji has denied having any connections to Seaquake, yet neither of these individuals or members of their firms has responded to outreaches by MarketsMuse for them to confirm or deny the information displayed on the Seaquake.io website.
Crypto Firm Co-Founder Andrew Ross Katz aka Ross Katz aka Stark Katz
Andrew Katz aka Ross Katz aka Stark Katz, the co-founder of so-called digital asset infrastructure and crypto-currency trading firm Seaquake.io, who along with his partner Matthew J. Krueger of San Francisco are facing investor fraud charges, is now slated to return to New York Criminal Court July 14 to answer to one count of felony assault, one count of grand larceny and one count of aggravated harassment.
Court: New York Criminal Court Case #CR-020482-20NY (PUBLIC RECORDS REMOVED UPON CONVICTION)
Arrest Date & Time: November 5 2020 09:30 Arrest #:M20629660
Officer Agency:NYPD
Defendant Katz, Andrew R Katz, whose bail was set at $200,000 had him posting $100,000 in cash, which sources believe to have emanated from funds that Katz and his partner Matthew J. Krueger of San Francisco hoodwinked from a Florida-based family office 18 months ago.
Defendant Katz, who continues to promote himself on LinkedIn and on the firm’s website as co-founder of the so-called digital asset infrastructure company “Seaquake.io” was arrested this past November in New York and has been granted numerous delays to answer to the latest charges. If Katz is found guilty, or if he decides to plead guilty and save the court system the aggravation of having to deal with him, he could be sentenced to a minimum of 2 years in prison.
NEWS ALERT: FEBRUARY 15 2022: ANDREW ROSS KATZ AKA ROSS KATZ CONVICTED OF ASSAULT CHARGE IN NYC; FLEES AND FOREGOES $200K BAIL BOND; FUGITIVE WARRANT FOR ARREST ISSUED IN NEW YORK; KATZ NOW BELIEVED TO BE SENDING DEATH THREATS TO WITNESSES; CONSIDERED TO BE ARMED AND DANGEROUS.
REWARD OFFERED BY NYPD
In a continuation of a bizarre story that MarketsMuse has been monitoring for more than two years, Andrew Ross Katz, the founder, and CEO of so-called digital asset/crypto trading firm Seaquake.io is now a fugitive after failing to appear for a series of court dates in New York Criminal Court and since being convicted of assault charges brought in November 2020. For reasons that would not be explained by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the New York Criminal Court case record was expunged from the public database at the time of the February 7 conviction.
The Manhattan DA would also not comment on allegations the ADA prosecuting the case had been warned at the early stages of the criminal proceedings of Katz’s extensive criminal background in multiple states, and that the ADA had been lobbied to request the court to deny bail, as the defendant should have been considered a flight risk. Katz’s criminal arrest record extends over many years, with arrests on an assortment of charges in cities that include his hometown of Arvada, CO, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. Katz’s most recent arrest apparently took place in late 2021 in Miami, during the same time a cryptocurrency convention was being held in that town.
Editors note: Fugitive Katz’s ‘aberrant behavior’ seems to extend back to his adolescence, according to public court filings. While in his teens, he was dispatched by his parents to a Utah-based ‘educational facility’ operated by “World Wide Association of Specialty Programs” that, according to public records, “is in the business of serving desperate parents of troubled youths and specialized in improving the students’ aberrant social behavior..” Per link above, fugitive Katz and Alyson Katz (Andrew Katz’s mother) were members of a class-action lawsuit brought against “WWSPS”. (That suit was dismissed in 2011).
Seaquake.io principals Andrew Katz (l), Matthew Krueger (c) and CIO Dylan Knight
According to informed sources, soon after his disappearance last week, Katz has purportedly commenced a series of death threats against a separate individual (and immediate family members), who is a victim of financial fraud that Katz and partner, Matthew J. Krueger of San Francisco committed back in 2019. That victim has since assisted law enforcement in pursuit of criminal charges against the Seaquake executives, and it is believed the [purported] death threats that came from Katz (“purportedly, yet with high probability”, according to law enforcement officers familiar with the matter), are part and parcel to a lengthy history of intimidation tactics that Katz has exacted on those in retribution for filing charges against him.
To the amazement of those interviewed and familiar with the apparent criminal activities of Katz, Krueger, and associated entities, the individuals’ profiles, and respective current Seaquake.io executive roles remain displayed and promoted on LinkedIn (e.g. Andrew Katz, Founder & CEO; Matthew Krueger, “Partner & CFO” and the company’s website continues to publish “updates” that suggest “the firm offers a range of fintech applications and services to the cryptocurrency industry”.
Most recent updates to that website promote news that funds managed by Crypto Industry Pioneer Brock Pierce‘s Percival Ventures, along with those from Blockchain Founders Fund, whose senior principal is Aly Madhavji, are investors in Seaquake. Both Pierce (now referred to as the Prince of Puerto Rico, as well as being a 2020 presidential candidate) and Madhavji are displayed as Advisors to the company on the Seaquake website. Neither of these individuals or members of their firms has responded to outreaches by MarketsMuse for them to confirm or deny the information displayed on the Seaquake.io website.
NYPD TIPS Program is Offering a Reward for information that leads to the arrest of Andrew Katz. Anyone with knowledge of Katz’s whereabouts should contact the NYPD by phoning 800-577-TIPS, or via the TIPS website
As to the charge of Aggravated Harassment, according to multiple sources, this particular charge is consistent with a behavior pattern that Katz has perpetrated repeatedly over the past several years against various people (unrelated to the current charges). No less than four individuals who have had ‘run-ins’ with Katz, including former landlords, relatives, and aggrieved investors have each independently contacted MarketMuse to share respective incidences in which Katz has tormented them with physical threats via voice message and text messages sent by ‘burner phones’, as well as defamatory messages that Katz has posted on social media platforms, all in effort to intimidate these individuals in retribution for legitimate complaints they had made against him in various jurisdictions.
As reported previouslyKatz and Krueger (pictured left) who also still promotes himself on LinkedIn and on the company’s website as Chief Financial Officer for Seaquake), have both been labeled “the Crypto Kleptos” and The Seaquake Slime Boys” by several people interviewed. Rumor is they are both facing a pending list of other criminal matters, including SBA PPP bank loan fraud. Public records indicate that Mssrs. Katz and Krueger applied for a PPP loan for Seaquake OPS LLC, a Wyoming entity that Seaquake corporate presentations have identified as one of several Seaquake companies. Seaquake OPS LLC did receive a Paycheck Protection Loan of $22,813 through Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, in May, 2020.
