A 22-year-old California resident has pleaded guilty to his role in a multi-state social engineering scheme that stole roughly $263 million in crypto.

Evan Tangeman of Newport Beach, California, admitted laundering $3.5 million in crypto for the criminal enterprise, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Monday.

Tangeman pleaded guilty to participating in a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. 

Sentencing is scheduled for April 24, 2026. He is the ninth defendant to enter a guilty plea in this specific investigation.

The court also unsealed the Second Superseding Indictment, adding three more defendants. Nicholas Dellecave, also known as “Nic” or…