Former Celsius Chief Revenue Officer to Forfeit Over $1 Million Ahead of Sentencing

[bonk]

Source: PACER

Roni Cohen-Pavon, the former chief revenue officer of collapsed crypto lending platform Celsius, has consented to a $1,070,000 forfeiture judgment representing proceeds traceable to his crimes, according to a Tuesday court filing from US Attorney Jay Clayton of the Southern District of New York. Cohen-Pavon will receive credit for any funds — in cash or crypto — paid through Celsius's bankruptcy proceedings. He pleaded guilty in September 2023 to fraud and conspiracy to commit price manipulation related to Celsius's CEL token and is scheduled for sentencing Thursday before Judge John Koeltl. Clayton stopped short of recommending a specific sentence, instead asking the judge to consider an "appropriate sentencing reduction" reflecting Cohen-Pavon's substantial cooperation with authorities — cooperation his lawyers say contributed to former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky's guilty plea.
In a letter to the judge, Cohen-Pavon was direct about his culpability: "I pleaded guilty because I am guilty. I participated in the manipulation of the CEL token. I did not stop it when I should have, and I did not leave when I could have."

His lawyers have requested time served, citing his full cooperation and acceptance of responsibility. The contrast with Mashinsky's outcome is significant context: Mashinsky was sentenced to 12 years in prison in May 2025 after pleading guilty to commodities and securities fraud and agreed to forfeit more than $48 million. The scale of Cohen-Pavon's forfeiture — $1 million against Mashinsky's $48 million — reflects the difference in culpability and role between the two executives, though Thursday's hearing will determine how much weight the judge places on Cohen-Pavon's cooperation in determining the final sentence.

[chainsniff]

Cohen-Pavon's "I pleaded guilty because I am guilty" statement being the most direct accountability language from any crypto executive in these proceedings

[etfs]

Celsius accountability complete after Mashinsky 12 years and now Cohen-Pavon sentencing