Noman Saleem, a New York resident, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding over $1.4 million by impersonating a cryptocurrency influencer. Saleem pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, admitting to creating fake Telegram accounts that mimicked well-known crypto figures to attract followers and set up paid 'VIP sub-channels.' He convinced victims to transfer digital assets to his controlled wallets under false promises of staking rewards, but no such operations were conducted. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland reported that Saleem's scheme affected multiple victims, including at least one from Maryland. Following his arrest, the U.S. government successfully recovered most of the stolen funds. Saleem will also serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.