GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — People tied to a tech-based organization are facing charges more than two years after a federal raid at the business on Grand Rapids' westside.
The Greek Group's president, a board member, a consultant and a volunteer are facing federal charges of illegal Bitcoin trades and money laundering.
Late last month, charges were filed in federal court for Christopher Allan Boden, the company president, Leesa Beth Vogt, a company board member, Daniel Reynod DeJager, a company consultant and Jeremy Tyler Swink, a volunteer.
The Geek Group, also known as The National Science Institute, was located on Leonard Street NW near Alpine Avenue in Grand Rapids and registered as a nonprofit. Back in 2018, the building was raided by the IRS and Homeland Security Investigations. Officials did not release details on the raid at the time.
The Geek Group shut down less than two weeks later. Boden said at the time that the organization faced several thousand dollars in debt and was unable to sustain operations anymore.
Court documents indicate The Geek Group was being marketed as place for customers wanting to buy and sell Bitcoin. However, prosecutors say that the organization was not a licensed with the U.S Department of Treasury as a money services or transmitting business.
Prosecutors alleged that hundreds of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency were sold between March 2017 and December 2018.
The Geek Group was known as a tech-based community organization that provided hands-on education opportunities and sometimes handed out used computers at little to no cost for students in need.
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