Chijindu “CJ” Ojah, 32, a British runner, is among ten suspects charged with conspiracy to defraud in an alleged fraud ring that stole cryptocurrencies from victims across England. CJ
Ojah also ran in the Tokyo Olympics relay that initially won a silver medal before the team was stripped of its medal following a 22-month ban for testing positive for banned substances. He was later cleared of intentional doping but has not competed since 2024.
Brandon Mengele, 25, who represented Great Britain in the 100m at the 2021 European Under-23 Championships, is also among those charged.
The Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU) executed simultaneous search warrants at 6am on April 29 across Chelmsford, Enfield, South London and Wakefield.
All ten suspects were charged with conspiracy to defraud. Margate District Court heard the charges the next day.
Callers pretended to be policemen and depleted wallets
The alleged scheme relied on social engineering rather than technical exploitation. The callers pretended to be police officers or representatives of cryptocurrency companies.
They then pressure victims to share their seed phrases or private keys in order to steal or spend money.
Once the victims delivered their initial statement, the funds were drained. At least one person lost £300,000.
ERSOU received support from Kent Police, City of London Police, Metropolitan Police and the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organized Crime Unit. The suspect was arrested in Wakefield by the Yorkshire Unit.
Three defendants were detained pending investigation. Mingle and Jamie Durston McDonnell, 28, both from Chelmsford, along with Lewis Richards-Miller, 24, from Greenwich. The remaining seven, including Oga, were like that Granted Bail.
The full list of defendants released on bail includes Joseph Omoro, 24; Adedeji Kojuri, 24 years old; Abdulazim Taiwo Adeola Yusuf, 24; Abdulaziz Kehinde Adelo Yusuf; Jayden Nakayama, 25; And Samantha Market, 23.
A court date has been set for May 28. All ten defendants are due to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on May 28. No petitions were filed.
England is experiencing a wave of cryptocurrency thefts
This case adds to a growing list of cryptocurrency theft prosecutions in England.
In November 2025, Thames Valley Police arrested four men after masked attackers forced a victim in Oxford to transfer nearly $1.5 million in cryptocurrency while also stealing a luxury watch, Cryptopolitan previously reported.
Earlier this year, three teenagers posed as Amazon delivery drivers to steal £3.1 million in cryptocurrency from a property in east London. receive Combined 16 years in youth detention.
ERSOU has issued guidelines following the arrest of the 10 accused in the British sprinter’s cryptocurrency scam case.
The police will never call to ask about your cryptocurrency holdings, and no real company or officer will ask for an initial statement.
Anyone receiving such a call should hang up and check independently by calling 101 from a separate phone.
Don’t just read cryptocurrency news. Understand that. Subscribe to our newsletter. It’s free.
