In court papers, prosecutors had also accused Shavers of misappropriating bitcoins to buy a used BMW M5 sedan and a $1,000 steakhouse dinner in Las Vegas, and to go to spas and casinos.
At the peak of the scheme, Shavers controlled about 7 percent of bitcoins in public circulation, prosecutors said. In total, prosecutors said he misappropriated 146,000 bitcoins and caused 48 investors to suffer losses.
The case is U.S. v. Shavers, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 15-cr-00157. (Reporting by Nate Raymond in New York; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)