Class action lawyers claim YouTuber ‘BitBoy Crypto’ threatened them
Lawyers representing a class-action lawsuit against “BitBoy Crypto” YouTuber Ben Armstrong and other crypto influencers for allegedly promoting crypto exchange FTX claimed Armstrong has made multiple threats against them.
A March 20 court filing by the class action’s lawyers in a Florida District Court claimed Armstrong “began harassing” the lawyers after the suit was filed on March 15 with “endless phone calls, tweets and emails,” and “insulting and threatening posts on Twitter, YouTube, and other social media.”
Armstrong is among several so-called “FTX influencers” named in the suit that seeks $1 billion as they allegedly “promoted [the] FTX crypto fraud without disclosing compensation.”
The filing claimed Armstrong was “at times making up to 21 calls within a 45-minute period” and left voicemails “full of vulgarities” that “specifically” targeted the lawyers.
The filing further alleged the voicemails included warnings to Adam Moskowitz — one of the lawyers in the class-action suit — with one where Armstrong allegedly told Moskowitz, “we’re going to have First Amendment protesters around your house 24/7 day and night.”
Like wtf lawyers chiming in saying I better be careful… LMAO you have to be kidding.
There is only one person who better be careful and it’s Adam Moskowitz. I’ve already told him privately. YOU DO NOT GET TO MAKE LIES UP. You will be held accountable.#
— Ben Armstrong (@Bitboy_Crypto) March 17, 2023
The lawyers claimed another voicemail told them “that the ‘home addresses’ of the ‘lawyers’ are ‘being circulated on Reddit.’”
In a statement to Cointelegraph, Armstrong said, “I haven’t made a single call ever to them,” and that he “tweeted about them and emailed them several times.”
“I’m going to have Adam Moskowitz’s legal license taken from him,” Armstrong added.
“It’s my personal mission to embarrass him. The lack of due diligence by his law team is atrocious. And they will reap what they have sewn,” he said.
What’s illegal: putting someone on a lawsuit with absolutely no merit
What’s legal: threatening to take someone’s legal license to practice law. And not sure if you guys know but it is not illegal to call someone a name. You do it all the time
— Ben Armstrong (@Bitboy_Crypto) March 21, 2023
The filing also noted a YouTube video posted by Armstrong on March 16. The filing claimed it was directed at the lawyers and those who bought the suit and allegedly warned them that Armstrong was “coming at them with full force.”
The lawyers allege Armstrong encouraged “others to join the attacks.”
In another alleged message by Armstrong to Moskowitz — which prompted a report to authorities — he warned the lawyer that “these people are dangerous” and can result in “you and your family shot.”
The filing also shared an email that Armstrong allegedly sent Moskowitz, calling him a “bitch” and an “unbelievably dumb mother fucker” before Armstrong stated he “never even promoted FTX” and told Moskowitz to “expect a counter suit bitch.”
The court filing also claimed it’s “not the first time” Armstrong caused “threatening controversy” after he filed and later dropped a defamation suit against fellow YouTube content creator Erling Mengshoel Jr, who goes by “Atozy.”
Related: Judge refuses to consolidate class-action lawsuits against FTX
Armstrong filed the suit against Mengshoel in August 2022 in response to a November 2021 video from the YouTuber titled “This YouTuber scams his fans…Bitboy Crypto,” which alleged Armstrong was dishonestly promoting assets to his audience for his own benefit.
A few weeks later, Armstrong revealed in a livestream that he was dropping the lawsuit and claimed “Atozy has won” after Mengshoel managed to raise more than $200,000 for his defense in less than 24 hours.