Lawyer Says He’s Called the FBI on Bitboy Over Threatening Emails, Calls and Tweets

Lawyer Adam Moskowitz says he feels “threatened” by influencer Ben “Bitboy” Armstrong—and he’s contacted the FBI and native police as a result of he’s involved for his and his household’s security.

Moskowitz advised Decrypt in an interview that the threats got here rolling in after his regulation agency filed a class motion lawsuit on behalf of its purchasers towards a lot of influencers, together with Armstrong, again in March. Moskowitz’s purchasers are in search of over $1 billion in damages and allege that Armstrong and others promoted the sale of unregistered securities attributable to their paid sponsorships with the now-defunct crypto alternate FTX. 

“My household and I’ve by no means been threatened [before this], whether or not in a court docket of regulation or outdoors a court docket of regulation. So I take this very critically. I’ve knowledgeable the FBI, and I’ve knowledgeable our native Pinecrest Police,” Moskowitz advised Decrypt, referring to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the police division in his space of Pinecrest, Florida. 

“I do worry for what might occur and what, even worse, perhaps considered one of his followers might do,” the lawyer mentioned. “In the event that they wish to comply with considered one of these influencers, clearly, they’ve affect over individuals and we see on a regular basis how individuals can incite violence by the web.” The FBI and Pinecrest Police haven’t but responded to Decrypt’s requests for remark.

Armstrong has for weeks publicly harassed Moskowitz, sharing screenshots of emails the influencer has despatched the lawyer by which Armstrong refers to Moskowitz as a “pussy” and a “bitch.”

In accordance with a court docket submitting Wednesday within the U.S. District Court docket within the Miami division of the Southern District of Florida, Armstrong has left voicemails with Moskowitz Legislation which are “filled with vulgarities,” together with one the place Armstrong states, “We’re going to have First Modification protesters round your home 24/7 day and night time.” The submitting additionally states that Armstrong left one other message claiming that the “dwelling addresses” of Moskowitz and his colleagues are “being circulated on Reddit.” 

Armstrong didn’t reply to Decrypt’s requests for remark concerning Moskowitz’s claims. However the influencer beforehand advised Decrypt that he deliberate to vigorously defend himself towards the lawsuit.

“I’ve by no means spoken with anybody at FTX or as a advertising and marketing agent performing on their behalf. Not as soon as,” he advised Decrypt by way of DM on Twitter. “So the allegations towards me are 100% false and will probably be extraordinarily straightforward to offer proof of this.”

Moskowitz mentioned that the habits from the opposite influencers within the lawsuit in comparison with Armstrong has been “night time and day.”

“I’ve filed hundreds of class-action lawsuits over the previous 30 years,” Moskowitz mentioned. “I’ve by no means had a defendant act anyplace close to Mr. Armstrong’s conduct. Not one of the different influencers have mentioned a phrase to us,” he added. 

Wednesday’s court docket submitting additionally claims that Armstrong evaded being served authorized papers whereas “persevering with to make every day violent threats in direction of Undersigned Counsel and plaintiffs.”

Armstrong countered the evasion claims with a tweet arguing that the authorized summons had been initially despatched to an incorrect handle in Arizona, whereas Armstrong and his workplaces are based mostly in Georgia.

Wednesday morning, the Moskowitz regulation agency included a hyperlink to a video it mentioned is proof of Armstrong “lastly accepting service” of the lawsuit. 

The submitting additionally references a lot of Armstrong’s tweets, the place he calls Moskowitz “dumb” and counters that the “unregistered securities” named within the lawsuit are known as “commodities” by the U.S. Commodities and Futures Buying and selling Fee. 

The submitting additionally cites an e mail Armstrong despatched to the regulation agency, by which he calls the regulation agency’s staff “dumb mom fucking cunts” and says he’s “coming for all of your fucking licenses.”

Earlier this week, Armstrong tweeted a number of occasions about Moskowitz and his regulation agency associates to his a million Twitter followers, together with a tweet by which he referred to as Moskowitz “a strolling piece of human rubbish.”

“There’s some loopy individuals on the market that can comply with loopy recommendation, even when it’s in a roundabout way from the particular person himself,” Moskowitz advised Decrypt. “Even when it’s in a roundabout way from the particular person himself, even when it’s not Ben Armstrong, coming to trigger hurt. That’s not the massive worry. The massive worry is that considered one of his three million followers will act on his directions.”