- Melissa Messe Samantha Chiyangwa appeared in a Harare court accused of stealing close to $600,000 from a local eye specialist.
- The alleged cryptocurrency theft targeted Dr Solomon Guramatunhu over a two-year period.
- Prosecutors state Chiyangwa accessed digital wallets and moved $583,660 in crypto assets without authorization.
- The fraud was discovered when Dr Guramatunhu tried to move his funds and found them missing.
- The case is ongoing, with investigations into possible further transfers and efforts to trace the assets.
A woman from Harare, Melissa Messe Samantha Chiyangwa, faced court this week on charges of stealing nearly $600,000 from a well-known ophthalmologist in a cryptocurrency-related case. Authorities say the alleged scam took place over a span of two years, with Chiyangwa remanded in custody until July 1.
Court documents show Chiyangwa is charged with theft and unauthorized use of passwords after $583,660 in crypto tokens disappeared from the digital wallets of Dr Solomon Guramatunhu. Prosecutors allege the official theft occurred by transferring funds out of the doctor’s account between October 2021 and January 2024.
According to investigators, Dr Guramatunhu originally bought the cryptocurrency while working overseas and asked for help managing it after returning to Zimbabwe. He enlisted the support of Lloyd Chiyangwa, Melissa’s husband, to set up multiple digital wallets, including Trust Wallet, Exodus, Cosmostation, Wemix, and MetaMask.
Prosecutors claim that Melissa Chiyangwa, sometimes working with her husband, accessed the Metamask wallet improperly and sent the digital tokens—worth almost $584,000—to a platform named Waybit Exchange. The alleged theft came to light on January 27, 2024, when Dr Guramatunhu attempted to move his funds and noticed they were missing.
Law enforcement has traced the illicit transfers to several devices, including an iPhone 14, iPhone 12 Pro, Linux U, Macintosh computer, and an Android phone. Officers believe Chiyangwa may still be shifting some assets to unknown locations using devices not yet found.
The case remains under investigation as officials work to trace the stolen digital currencies and determine the full scope of the incident.
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