Australian BitConnect promoter John Louis Anthony Bigatton has pled guilty to a criminal charge brought by Public Prosecutors.

On May 16th Bigatton pled guilty to one charge of providing unlicensed financial services on behalf of another person.

As per a May 17th media release from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission;

Mr Bigatton undertook promotional activities for BitConnect and the Lending Platform on social media, at seminars that he hosted at various locations around Australia, and through face-to- face meetings with investors.

Mr Bigatton provided financial product advice without holding an Australian Financial Services licence or authorisation to provide financial services about the Lending Platform and BCC, on six instances at various locations around Australia through seminars (four) and social media posts (two).

Bigatton, Australia’s top BitConnect promoter, was criminally charged back in 2020. Bigatton’s guilty plea appears to have seen the original three charges reduced to one.

ASIC banned Bigatton from operating in the financial service sector for seven years the same year he was charged.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Bigatton is what happened to his wife Madeline.

Following BitConnect’s collapse in January 2018, Bigatton and his wife (right) are reported to have run into “money problems”.

Madeline went missing on March 25th, 2018. Her SUV would later be found by authorities parked at nearby cliffside lookout.

(A) relative said Mrs Bigatton had hinted to family she was in a ‘dark place’ in the days before she vanished, but insisted it was totally out of character for her to do anything to harm herself.

Bigatton’s wedding ring was found inside the car, however her body hasn’t been recovered.

A few days after Madeline disappeared, John Bigatton celebrated Easter with relatives. He appeared unperturbed by his wife’s disappearance.

What happened to Madeline has never been definitively solved.

Sentencing for John Bigatton’s criminal case has been scheduled for July 5th.

 

Update 16th July 2024 – John Bigatton has avoided prison. On July 15th Bigatton was sentenced to a three-year good behavior bond.