BitBoy Crypto (also known as Ben Armstrong) is facing legal action after his egregious attempts to evade a court appearance ordered by a federal magistrate judge. In response to a class-action lawsuit involving several crypto influencers, the judge ordered Armstrong and his counsel to appear on April 20 to address his alleged harassment of counsel and instead, he chose to jet off to the Bahamas. A judge’s warning in the form of a warrant for Armstrong’s arrest if he failed to appear by April 24 was completely disregarded, forcing the harassment case to move forward without him.
YouTuber Faces $1 Billion Lawsuit, Mocks Case on Twitter
The $1-billion lawsuit, which was filed on March 15, claims Armstrong and other YouTubers promoting FTX “crypto fraud without disclosing compensation”. Plaintiffs’ counsel, Adam Moskowitz, has also reported a string of disgusting behavior from the influencer, ranging from “endless phone calls, tweets and emails” to “voicemails full of vulgarities” and even threats.
Rather than obeying the court’s order, Armstrong took the opportunity to mock the harassment case and Moskowitz in an extremely reckless manner. His April 5 tweet read: “I am supposed to be in court today. I’m not. Why? Because I don’t give AFRECKLESSNESS SPONSORED BY [Link]” and was accompanied by an image of himself on a beach in the Bahamas.
Influencer’s Reckless Behavior, Calls for Regulatory Scrutiny
He reportedly offered to appear before the judge in May through his attorney, but the court has already issued an order barring him from tweeting about Moskowitz and the plaintiffs in the case. By the look of his past behavior, the regulatory agencies should take a closer look at this influencer’s actions and apply any penalty to the fullest extent because people are trusting in his advice.
The brazen disregard for basic etiquette and common sense displayed by Ben Armstrong’s FTC beyond recklessness. Fascinated by his immense reach among crypto followers, we take a closer look at the consequences of an inflammatory influencer and the potential ramifications of his actions. The brazen disregard for the law is a scene not likely to be forgotten anytime soon.
Influencer Ben Armstrong’s Controversial Past
It’s true that Armstrong has a huge influence in the crypto space. With 1 million followers on Twitter, 1.4 million YouTube subscribers and yet another court case under his belt, this isn’t the first time the influencer has found himself in hot water with regulatory agencies. Not only has he insulted high-profile figures, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler, but in August 2022, he filed a defamation lawsuit against another YouTuber, Erling Mengshoel Jr. which he quickly dropped after Mengshoel raised more than $200,000 in defense in less than 24 hours.
Lessons Learned from Influencer Ben Armstrong’s Reckless Behavior
It is clear that Armstrong’s behavior is reckless and his lack of consideration for both the legal process and the people affected by his decisions should not be tolerated. Even the most privileged members of society should abide by the law. The risks to Armstrong when it comes to this irresponsible behavior are very real and they could have a lasting effect on his public image.
It’s important that influencers in the crypto and technology space conduct themselves responsibly – both online and off. Armstrong’s example of shamelessly disregarding the court system should serve as a warning to other influencers to be more mindful and respectful of the legal process. His actions are a lesson to us all in how NOT to react to a court appearance.
