TLDR
- Interpol has issued a “Red Notice,” on behalf of Finland, for Hex and PulseChain founder Richard James Schueler, a.k.a. Richard Heart, on charges of gross tax evasion and assault.
- A list of Europol’s most wanted criminals also features Schueler, and claims he physically assaulted a 16-year-old victim by knocking them to the ground and punching them repeatedly.
- “It feels great to be wanted. Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come,” Schueler posted on X Saturday night, in a post that may be referencing the Red Notice’s issuance.
Interpol, the world’s largest international police organization, has issued a “Red Notice” for Richard James Schueler, widely recognized in the cryptocurrency community as Richard Heart. Heart is the founder of Hex and PulseChain, two controversial crypto projects that have faced significant scrutiny.
A Red Notice serves as an alert to Interpol’s 195 member countries, signaling that an individual is wanted based on a valid national arrest warrant. While not an international arrest warrant, it often leads to extradition proceedings if the individual is apprehended in a different country.
In this case, Finland has issued an arrest warrant for Schueler on charges of fraud involving “hundreds of millions of euros” and assault, according to Europol’s website. Europol, the law enforcement agency of the European Union, maintains a list of its most wanted criminals, which now includes Schueler.
Allegations Against Richard Heart
According to Europol’s website, Schueler failed to file business tax returns for multiple years and neglected to provide accurate income details on his personal tax filings. The total amount of taxes allegedly evaded is reported to be in the hundreds of millions of euros.
Additionally, Schueler faces assault charges stemming from an incident in which he allegedly attacked a 16-year-old. The website describes the incident as follows: Schueler allegedly grabbed the victim’s hair, dragged them into a stairwell, and struck them 4 to 5 times in the face, causing pain, bleeding, and swelling.
Timeline of Events
Reports of Finnish authorities seeking Schueler first surfaced in September 2024. On December 18, Europol added Schueler to its most wanted list, likely coinciding with the issuance of the Red Notice. Meanwhile, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has separately filed a lawsuit against Schueler for allegedly selling unregistered securities through his cryptocurrency ventures.
Schueler Responds
In a cryptic post on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday night, Schueler appeared to address the news of the Red Notice without directly referencing it. “My whole life I’ve been preparing for the future. Anticipating it. Creating it. I’ve never been safer, and I’m excited for the future,” he wrote.
Schueler’s post also touched on his ongoing legal battles and projects, stating: “The Honorable Justice in SEC v me should have her ruling out soon. Donald Trump will be in office soon. PulseX, PulseChain, HEX, INC are all functioning wonderfully. This makes some entities mad, but there’s literally nothing they can do about it except be mad.” He concluded with, “It feels great to be wanted. Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come.”
Implications for the Crypto Industry
The allegations and legal actions against Schueler highlight the ongoing scrutiny of the cryptocurrency industry by global regulatory and law enforcement agencies. Investors and stakeholders in Hex and PulseChain will likely face heightened uncertainty as developments unfold.
BlockBeep.com will continue to monitor this story and provide updates as they become available.
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