Polish prosecutors have formally charged a suspect identified as Romana Ż. in connection with the Zondacrypto cryptocurrency exchange. He is accused of belonging to an organized criminal group and of diverting 7.8 million zlotys (approximately $2.1 million) of user funds.
The prosecution asked the Katowice‑Wschód District Court to place Ż. in pre‑trial detention, citing a risk that he could flee or tamper with the investigation. He was initially detained on Sept. 5 and has denied the allegations.
Investigators allege Ż. worked with others to alter computer records and interfere with the exchange’s data processing, enabling the unauthorized transfer of funds. The charge follows the Sept. 2 detention of three additional individuals, who were also accused of money‑laundering, asset misappropriation and participation in an organized crime group; a court ordered their detention for up to three months.
Polish authorities estimate total losses linked to Zondacrypto at no less than 350 million zlotys. The probe was merged in July with a separate investigation into the 2022 disappearance of Sylwester Suszek, founder of BitBay, which later rebranded as Zondacrypto.
Zondacrypto’s Estonian operator, BB Trade Estonia, was declared bankrupt in August, with its first creditors’ meeting scheduled for Sept. 17.
