Ben Pasternak Arrested for Assault at NYC Hotel Amid $54M Crypto Fraud Lawsuit Over Believe Token

Gate News message, April 25 — Ben Pasternak, the 26-year-old Australian entrepreneur behind the Solana-based SocialFi platform Believe, was arrested on April 22 and charged with second-degree strangulation and two counts of third-degree assault following an alleged physical altercation with his ex-girlfriend, YouTube personality Evelyn Ha, at the Baccarat Hotel in Manhattan on March 31.

According to court documents filed by the Manhattan district attorney's office, Pasternak grabbed Ha by the neck with both hands, causing marks, redness, and difficulty breathing. He also allegedly slammed a door on her multiple times, resulting in bruises on her arms and hips. Ha, who has over 530,000 YouTube subscribers, responded on April 24, stating: "There were serious boundaries that were crossed, and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my wellbeing." Pasternak pleaded not guilty and was released on personal recognizance bail; his lawyer claimed he was acting in self-defense. Prosecutors allege Pasternak was hiding at the hotel to avoid being served in a class action lawsuit filed on March 23.

The underlying crypto fraud case involves Believe, which Pasternak founded after stepping down as CEO of his previous company, Simulate (valued at $250 million in 2020). Investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas sued Pasternak, B24 Inc., and Believe Foundation in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on March 23, alleging he failed to disclose personal stakes in $BELIEVE tokens, missed at least 12 publicly pledged buybacks, and executed a token swap that diluted holdings by 33%. The platform traded over $6 billion in tokens before the $BELIEVE token crashed 99% to below $0.00075, leaving it with a market cap under $900,000. The lawsuit demands $54 million in compensation for unlawfully obtained revenues.