Cecilia Millan, Karina Chairez, and attorney Scott Hughes received prison sentences on October 3rd for their roles in the AirBit Club cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme. Sentences ranged from one year to five years. These rulings followed co-founder Renato Rodriguez's twelve-year term issued just one week earlier in the same sprawling fraud case.

AirBit Club operated as a multi-level marketing crypto scheme, defrauding investors of over $100 million since its launch in 2015. The operation promised daily returns from Bitcoin mining and trading, but instead paid earlier investors with funds from new participants. Federal indictments against the principals began in August 2020, after the scheme collapsed.

Millan, a top promoter for AirBit Club, received a five-year prison sentence. Chairez, another key promoter, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison. Both women recruited numerous victims into the fraudulent investment program, often targeting their own communities.

Scott Hughes, an attorney, was sentenced to eighteen months in federal prison. Hughes provided legal advice to AirBit Club, much of which federal prosecutors described as questionable. He also helped the scheme launder approximately $18 million in illicit proceeds. Hughes had previously threatened the Daily Exposed publication for its reporting on AirBit Club's fraudulent activities.

Gutemberg dos Santos, the final AirBit Club criminal defendant, faced sentencing on October 4th. He received 40 months in prison for his involvement. His sentencing concluded the primary criminal proceedings against the scheme's leadership and central figures.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took its own action against Hughes. His felony conviction led to a suspension from appearing or practicing before the SEC. This regulatory measure prevents him from representing clients in any SEC matters.

Financial restitution and forfeiture orders also accompanied the criminal sentences. Karina Chairez agreed to a $400,000 money judgment on June 3rd, 2024. This judgment aims to recover a portion of the funds she gained from the scheme.

A Final Order of Forfeiture against Cecilia Millan was filed on March 10th, 2025. This order mandates the forfeiture of balances held in several bank and credit union accounts. It also includes $29,402 in seized cash and a residential property owned by Millan in North Carolina, all identified as proceeds of the fraud.

Scott Hughes also faced a Final Order of Forfeiture, filed on April 3rd, 2025. This order requires him to surrender the balances from multiple bank, investment, and credit union accounts. Crucially, it included the balance of a Coinbase account, which at the time held 116 Bitcoin (BTC) and 316 Ethereum (ETH). A parallel SEC civil fraud case against various AirBit Club entities and individuals remains pending in federal court.