Wanted EXW fugitive Manuel Batista has been sentenced to prison in Dubai.

True to Dubai’s status as the MLM crime capital of the world, Batista’s Dubai sentence was not related to invested fraud.

Dubai’s authorities arrested Batista last December, after his former partner filed domestic violence charges against him. Batista’s former partner accused him of “physically attacking and injuring her”.

Crucially for EXW victims, after he serves his sentence Batista will face extradition proceedings. Batista is wanted in Austria on criminal charges related to EXW.

EXW, or Exchange Wallet, was a typical MLM crypto Ponzi. Batista, along with Pirmin Troger and Benjamin Herzog founded the scam in 2019.

Herzog pled guilty to EXW fraud charges in Austria in December 2023. He was sentenced to five years in prison in October 2024.

Citing a prison furlough, Austrian authorities granted Herzog a temporary release from prison in November. Instead of reporting back to prison, Herzog fled to Dubai and is now also a wanted fugitive.

Meanwhile back in Austria, EXW prison sentences for Herzog and Pirmin Troger were increased to six and a half years and six years respectively last month.

The sentences were increased at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office;

 The court thus granted the appeal of the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption.

In its reasoning, the court referred to the large number of victims who had suffered considerable harm. The convictions for aggravated fraud and criminal organization are legally binding.

Troger was arrested in Brazil in April 2023 and was extradited to Austria the next month. There have been no further updates on Troger’s status since, however an increased prison sentence suggests Troger was convicted.

Austrian authorities have pegged EXW victims at 40,000. Total losses are estimated to be around €25 million euros.