U.S. prosecutors in California have seized millions of dollars from bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets tied to a Montana payments company reportedly linked to Tether.
Owners of Capstone, which acted as a money services business, misrepresented the business as an information technology company to banks including Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase when opening accounts, federal prosecutors said in a civil forfeiture filing.
Capstone, registered for business in Montana, processed numerous payments on behalf of two crypto companies through an agreement with a bank in Dominica, prosecutors said in a July filing that was reported by The Information on Thursday.
Tether confirmed in a statement it was a customer of the bank but was unaware of Capstone’s alleged fraud.
According to prosecutors, Capstone engaged in a scheme to bilk victims out of cash by pretending to be FBI agents. It then converted the proceeds to crypto, prosecutors said.
“Tether had no knowledge of the conduct by Capstone alleged by the Department of Justice,” the spokesperson said, noting its assets held at the bank were limited.
The Justice Department in court filings did not allege any wrongdoing by the other firms.
It seized nearly $81 million from Capstone’s accounts with Wells Fargo and $2 million from an account with JPMorgan, court filings said. Another roughly $1.2 million worth of Tether’s dollar-pegged token was also seized.
Spokespeople for Wells Fargo and JPMorgan declined to comment
Strong coastal storms during late winter could increase the risk of coastal flooding and erosion along the East Coast. River flooding could be an increasing concern as winter progresses, particularly across the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, where river levels could rise. Rivers may also rise sharply across parts of the Southeast and lower mid-Atlantic, according to the report.
“Above-average temperatures and fewer Arctic outbreaks are forecast across much of the northern United States,” the report states. “AccuWeather’s outlook puts winter temperatures 3-4 degrees above average in Chicago, Detroit, and Minneapolis. Forecast heating degree days for October 2026 through March 2027 are below historical averages in several northern cities, indicating lower weather-driven heating demand. Comparisons with last winter vary by location.”
