FTX influencer Ben ‘BitBoy’ Armstrong has today failed to attend a Florida hearing to address allegations that he has engaged in a campaign of harassment against Adam Moskowitz, the attorney in charge of the plaintiffs’ class action lawsuit against Armstrong.
The hearing was set for 10 am Thursday morning. As the hearing was scheduled to begin, Armstrong tweeted:
I am supposed to be in court today.
I’m not. Why?
Because I don’t give AF
RECKLESSNESS SPONSORED BY https://t.co/RtFomcGS5v pic.twitter.com/t9XqsNd6da
— Ben Armstrong (@Bitboy_Crypto) April 20, 2023
Armstrong’s failure to appear predictably incensed Judge Melissa Damian, who demanded to know why Armstrong wasn’t in court. His attorney Jason Rindenau said that Armstrong could appear in court in a month when he would be in Miami for the BTC conference. Again predictably, this further incurred the wrath of the Judge, who told Armstrong’s attorney that if Armstrong does not appear before her on Monday, she would issue a warrant for his arrest.
The Judge also said she would refer Armstrong’s conduct to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and formally ordered Armstrong to stop communicating with Moskowitz or making public statements about him.
Armstrong immediately violated the order, tweeting minutes after the court adjourned:
GUYS I MISSED COURT BUT STILL RAN INTO ADAM MOSKOWITZ AND WE MADE UP!
PHOTOS OF ME AND ADAM MOSKOWITZ SPONSORED BY https://t.co/RtFomcGkfX pic.twitter.com/12XJoALcI7
— Ben Armstrong (@Bitboy_Crypto) April 20, 2023
Armstrong’s conduct is effectively a continuation of the harassment he directed toward Moskowitz. Communications included in Moskowitz’s court filings show Armstrong sending profanities to the attorney and other anonymously sent messages implying he would be in danger if he didn’t cease the lawsuit.
Armstrong, who described himself as a “cryptocurrency enthusiast and content creator doing his part to spread adoption and move Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies into the mainstream,” also urged his 1.5 million YouTube followers to join in. They also show that Moskowitz’s law firm had received up to 21 calls from Armstrong in a 45-minute period, leaving similarly vulgar voicemails. At court on Thursday, Moskowitz also said he had received phone calls saying his family would be shot.
Given that the Judge has already specified she would be referring Armstrong to the FBI, it seems inevitable that Armstrong will have a warrant issued for his arrest if he fails to appear on Monday. Time will tell.
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