Joby Weeks, a key figure in the BitClub Network cryptocurrency fraud, secured a court order on June 16, 2023, permitting him to travel beyond Colorado. Weeks then reportedly left his wife, Stephanie Weeks, who faces a stage 4 cancer diagnosis, and their young daughter. Reports indicate Weeks has not been home for three months since his departure.
Stephanie Weeks established a GoFundMe campaign shortly after her husband's absence became apparent. She stated medical professionals informed her that treatment for her stage 4 cancer would cost $40,000 and require two months. Stephanie explained she lacks health insurance and must pay for her care at the time of service. "I want to ahinihlate [sic] this mass so I can be here for my daughter," she wrote on the fundraising page. The campaign had collected $27,306 before its eventual deletion on November 16, 2023.
Weeks sought modifications to his existing release conditions in June 2023. The court granted this request, allowing him to travel both within and outside Colorado for "business and personal reasons." This modification occurred while Weeks awaited sentencing for his role in the BitClub Network scheme, a period during which his wife was managing a serious illness and their young child alone.
Weeks pleaded guilty in 2020 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to sell unregistered securities. He was one of several individuals charged by the Department of Justice in connection with the BitClub Network, a sprawling cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of $722 million. The scheme, which operated from April 2014 to December 2019, allegedly recruited investors worldwide. It promised returns from a bitcoin mining pool that authorities later determined did not exist as advertised. Instead, the defendants used new investor money to pay off earlier investors, a classic Ponzi structure.
Federal prosecutors described the operation as a complex multi-level marketing pyramid that relied on deceptive marketing and the illusion of passive cryptocurrency income. Co-conspirators Matthew Goettsche, Joseph Abel, Russ Medlin, and Silviu Catalin Balaci were also indicted for their roles in the fraudulent enterprise. Goettsche and Abel have since pleaded guilty to related charges. Balaci was arrested in Germany and extradited to the United States.
Weeks' sentencing has seen multiple delays since his guilty plea. Originally scheduled much earlier, the court has pushed it back repeatedly. The current sentencing date is set for March 13, 2024. The specific reasons for these ongoing postponements have not been publicly disclosed. Weeks has previously described himself as a "spiritual being" with a Christian upbringing in public statements, a self-portrayal that contrasts with the federal charges.
Individuals facing severe medical conditions and financial hardship, especially those impacted by financial fraud, can seek support from organizations like the Cancer Financial Assistance Coalition. This coalition provides a searchable database of resources designed to offer financial aid and support to cancer patients across the United States.