‘Doctor Bitcoin’ Pleads Guilty to Illegal Cash-to-Crypto Scheme
2021-06-29 · Press release
Summary: A Richardson man who calls himself “Doctor Bitcoin” has pleaded guilty to illegally operating a cash-to-cryptocurrency conversion business.
A Richardson man who calls himself “Doctor Bitcoin” has pleaded guilty to illegally operating a cash-to-cryptocurrency conversion business, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Prerak Shah.
Mark Alexander Hopkins, 42, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business. (He was charged via a criminal information on July 29, 2021.)
“This defendant ignored federal law and allowed fraudsters to use Bitcoin to operate under the radar of law enforcement,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Prerak Shah. “We are determined to rid the Bitcoin marketplace of anyone who knowingly helps criminal actors stash illegal profits inside crypto wallets.”
According to plea papers, Mr. Hopkins admitted he ran a business that converted U.S. dollars to cryptocurrency, primarily Bitcoin, for a fee. He frequently sent BTC to customers’ crypto wallets without taking additional steps in verifying the source of the cash, he admitted.
In September 2019, a customer identified in court documents as “M.H.” approached Mr. Hopkins to convert U.S. dollars to BTC. The money Mr. Hopkins received from M.H. stemmed from a lottery scam he was running with a coconspirator in Nigeria.
Mr. Hopkins admitted he promised not to get involved in the details of M.H’s business dealings, but told M.H. how to circumvent financial institution reporting requirements by keeping deposits under $9,500, and directed M.H. to lie to financial institutions about the purpose of the business:
“I’m set up as a marketing company, so tell them you’re paying for a marketing campaign,” he said.
Over the course of about a year, Mr. Hopkins conducted 37 transactions with M.H., converting between $550,000 and $1.5 million, he said.
The defendant admitted he was not licensed to engage in the business of transmitting money within the states where he practiced, nor was he registered as a money transmitting business with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. He failed to follow federal laws that require money transmitting businesses to verify customers’ names, date of birth, and address – a law aimed at identifying those engaged in unlawful activity – and failed to file currency transaction reports for high-value cash-in transactions.
Mr. Hopkins now faces up to five years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sid Mody is prosecuting the case.
- district_office
- Northern District of Texas
- usa_name
- Prerak Shah
- event_type
- plea
- judge_name
- judge_title
- case_number
- max_penalty_text
- up to five years in federal prison
- sentence_summary
- money_amounts
- $550,000, $1.5 million, $9,500
- crypto_assets
- BTC
- statutes_json
- timeline_json
- press_release_url
- https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/doctor-bitcoin-pleads-guilty-illegal-cash-crypto-scheme
- extras_json
| participant_id | name | role | title | organization | location | age | nationality | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1896 | Mark Alexander Hopkins | defendant | Texas | 42 | pleaded guilty | |||
| 1897 | Prerak Shah | prosecutor | Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Northern District of Texas | |||
| 1898 | Sid Mody | prosecutor | Assistant U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office | Northern District of Texas |
| agency_id | agency_name | abbreviation | role | office_location | agents_mentioned | contribution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1186 | Federal Bureau of Investigation | FBI | investigation | Dallas Field Office | conducted the investigation | |
| 1187 | U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas | prosecution | Northern District of Texas | Prerak Shah, Sid Mody | prosecuting the case |
| charge_id | charge_description | statute | severity | max_penalty | fine_amount | defendant | status | participant_id | cl_docket_id | count_num | is_1960 | verified_1960 | source | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 981 | operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business | five years in federal prison | Mark Alexander Hopkins | pleaded guilty | 1 | enrichment | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 | |||||||
| 2912 | unlicensed money transmitting business | 1 | press | 2026-09-16T19:45:57+00:00 |
| fin_id | action_type | amount | currency | description | asset_type | defendant | status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 405 |
| victim_id | victim_type | description | number_affected | loss_amount | geographic_scope | vulnerability_factors | impact_description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 253 | individual | victims of a lottery scam | $550,000 to $1.5 million | financial loss from fraudulent lottery scheme |
| quote_id | quote_text | speaker_name | speaker_title | speaker_organization | quote_type | context | significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1146 | This defendant ignored federal law and allowed fraudsters to use Bitcoin to operate under the radar of law enforcement. | Prerak Shah | Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Commenting on the defendant's actions and the importance of enforcing federal laws in the cryptocurrency market. | Highlights the defendant's disregard for federal regulations and the potential for cryptocurrency to facilitate illegal activities. |
| 1147 | We are determined to rid the Bitcoin marketplace of anyone who knowingly helps criminal actors stash illegal profits inside crypto wallets. | Prerak Shah | Acting U.S. Attorney | U.S. Department of Justice | statement | Expressing the U.S. Department of Justice's commitment to enforcing laws in the cryptocurrency market. | Emphasizes the DOJ's resolve to combat illegal activities involving cryptocurrency. |
| 1148 | I’m set up as a marketing company, so tell them you’re paying for a marketing campaign. | Mark Alexander Hopkins | statement | Instructing a customer on how to circumvent financial institution reporting requirements. | Illustrates the defendant's involvement in helping a customer evade financial regulations. |
| theme_id | theme_name | description | significance | related_statutes | geographic_scope | temporal_aspects | stakeholders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1235 | Unlicensed Money Transmitting Business | Mark Hopkins operated a cash-to-cryptocurrency conversion business without proper licensing or registration with the U.S. Department of the Treasury. | Violated federal law by evading regulatory oversight, enabling illegal transactions. | 18 U.S.C. § 1960 | National | Recent development | Law enforcement, Financial institutions, Regulators |
| 1236 | Cryptocurrency as Illicit Tool | Bitcoin was used to launder proceeds from a Nigerian-based lottery scam, evading financial tracking. | Highlighted cryptocurrency's role in obscuring criminal profits and undermining law enforcement. | International | Recent development | Criminals, Victims, Cryptocurrency users | |
| 1237 | Money Laundering | Hopkins facilitated conversion of scam-derived cash into cryptocurrency without verifying sources. | Enabled concealment of illegal funds' origins, violating anti-money laundering laws. | International | Historical trend | Law enforcement, Victims, Financial institutions | |
| 1238 | Non-Compliance with Financial Regulations | Failed to verify customer identities, file currency transaction reports, or adhere to anti-money laundering protocols. | Undermined federal efforts to detect and prevent financial crimes. | National | Recent development | Regulators, Financial institutions, Law enforcement | |
| 1239 | International Criminal Collaboration | Hopkins collaborated with a Nigerian co-conspirator to execute a cross-border lottery scam. | Demonstrated transnational criminal networks exploiting cryptocurrency. | International | Recent development | International law enforcement, Victims, Cryptocurrency platforms |
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