Hex founder Richard Heart is issued a Red Notice by Interpol

Richard Schueler, widely known as Richard Heart, the founder of the cryptocurrency Hex, has been placed on Interpol’s global wanted list via a red notice.

Issued at the request of the Finnish authorities, it follows accusations of tax fraud and assaults in the country.

Charges for assaults and tax fraud

A Red Notice is a formal request to law enforcement agencies around the world to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. However, it does not constitute an international arrest warrant.

Earlier this year, Heart was also on the European Union’s most wanted list for the same charges. Finnish authorities allege he committed tax fraud between 2020 and 2024, with a pre-trial detention order first issued against him on 13 September 2024.

“For the purpose of tax avoidance, Schueler breached a statutory duty relating to taxation that is material to the assessment of tax,” the tax fraud allegation said.

Authorities say the 45-year-old failed to file business tax returns for several years and omitted information about his income on pre-employment personal returns.

They allege that he received income from business activities that should have been declared to the tax authorities for assessment, with the total amount of avoided fees reaching hundreds of millions of euros.

In another case, Schueler is also wanted in Finland for allegedly assaulting a minor.

Schueler defends legacy amid Interpol notice

While the defendant has not directly addressed the red notice, in a Dec. 22 post on X, he appeared to refer to the situation indirectly, challenging his “haters” and highlighting his philanthropic efforts .

“Why settle for being wanted when you can be the most wanted?” read the post, citing his $27 million in contributions to medical research, self-help books and P2P publishing software.

He emphasized his belief in his positive impact, expressing that he strives to “make the world a better place” despite feeling that those who make a difference often face cruelty.

Meanwhile, Hex’s creator is also embroiled in a legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 2023, the regulator sued him, accusing him of unregistered securities sales and fraudulent activities. The agency alleges that Heart conducted an unsanctioned sale of cryptocurrency securities that raised more than $1 billion.

He is accused of promoting Hex as a “blockchain certificate of deposit” between December 2019 and November 2020. He is also said to have promised high returns and attracted $678 million in investments, but the value of the token then fell 98.4% from its peak. .

The SEC also claims that Heart raised $354 million for PulseChain, supposedly for development, but used the funds for personal luxuries. In January 2024, it filed a motion to dismiss the case, which the financial watchdog opposed, arguing that it did not address the allegations or comply with legal standards.

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