A cryptocurrency investment firm founder who promised investors impossible returns of up to 547% annually was sentenced Thursday to five years in federal prison for orchestrating a $9.4 million fraud scheme.
Travis Ford, 36, of Glenpool, Oklahoma, must also pay over $1 million in forfeiture and $170,000 in restitution for defrauding approximately 2,800 investors through his company Wolf Capital Crypto Trading LLC, according to a Department of Justice announcement.
Ford served as CEO, co-founder, and head trader of Wolf Capital, soliciting investments through the company website and social media from January through August 2023. He claimed he could deliver returns of 1-2% daily through sophisticated trading strategies.
Court documents revealed Ford admitted during his guilty plea that he “did not believe those promised investment returns were possible to achieve consistently,” according to the DOJ press release.
Instead, he acknowledged making false promises to lure investors before misappropriating their funds for personal benefit.
The scheme collapsed after Ford diverted investor money to himself and co-conspirators rather than trading cryptocurrency as promised. Ford pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in January 2025.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case. Acting Assistant Attorney Matthew R. Galeotti and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the USPIS Criminal Investigations Group announced the sentencing.
Trial Attorney John J. Liolos of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.