British sprinter and former world champion CJ Ujah has been arrested and charged as part of an investigation into an alleged cryptocurrency fraud. The Regional Organised Crime Unit Network (ROCU) confirmed that Ujah was among ten individuals arrested and charged with conspiracy to defraud following an investigation spanning Kent, Essex, and London.
Court Proceedings and Charges
The suspects appeared before Margate Magistrates’ Court on 30 April. Ujah, a former two-time British 100m champion, was among seven people granted bail. They are required to attend a hearing at Chelmsford Crown Court on 28 May. The ROCU stated: “It is alleged the suspects were part of an organised crime group linked to a scam involving phone calls to multiple victims, from individuals purporting to be police officers and cryptocurrency companies.”
Victims are reported to have been tricked into sharing critical security details, including seed phrases, before discovering that funds stored in their crypto wallets had been stolen. One victim is alleged to have lost more than £300,000.
Additional Arrests
Brandon Mingeli, who represented Great Britain in the under-23 European Championships in 2021 in the 100m, was also arrested. He was remanded in custody until the hearing on 28 May.
Ujah's Athletic Career
Ujah was a 4x100m relay world champion in 2017 and European relay champion in 2016 and 2018. The 32-year-old was banned for 22 months for a doping violation at the Tokyo Olympics, which led to Britain’s relay team being stripped of their silver medal. However, he was cleared of intentional doping. After returning from his ban, Ujah reached the 100m semi-finals at the European Championships in Rome in 2024, but he has not raced since April last year.
Ujah did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. Governing body British Athletics declined to comment.
