Ray Trapani today: How Netflix Unveiled the Centra Tech Scam

The story of Ray Trapani is one of the most remarkable warning signs in the cryptocurrency world. The Netflix documentary Bitconned not only sheds light on the schemes of an ambitious scammer but also highlights the vulnerability of thousands of investors who were lured by promises of a revolutionary financial solution.

From Ambitious Dreams to Crypto Fraud: The Story of Ray Trapani

Ray Trapani had dreamed since childhood of getting rich quickly. But his methods to achieve this dream were anything but legal. When the crypto wave peaked in 2017, Trapani saw his chance: together with his accomplices Sohrab Sharma and Robert Farkas, he founded Centra Tech, a company promising a debit card for cryptocurrencies.

The promise sounded enticing—investors could easily convert their cryptocurrencies into real money. But behind the shiny promises was a sophisticated scam system. To attract capital, Trapani launched an initial coin offering (ICO), which ultimately raised a staggering $25 million—mostly from trusting investors’ pockets.

Netflix Exposes Centra Tech Schemes in Bitconned

Starting January 1, 2024, viewers can watch the documentary Bitconned on Netflix, offering a new perspective on this scam. The film revealed not only Ray Trapani’s criminal energy but also the systematic deception carried out by the Centra Tech team—from forged documents to deliberate omissions in prospectus materials.

What makes this film particularly fascinating is that Ray Trapani openly discusses his role. He does not hide his intentions, revealing the psychological mechanisms behind such scams.

Director Bryan Storkel Offers a Critical Look at the Crypto World

Director Bryan Storkel, known for works like The Legend of Cocaine Island and The Pez Outlaw, provides an unfiltered, critical perspective on the crypto industry in Bitconned. Storkel avoids romanticizing and instead shows the harsh reality: how easy it is to build scams in an unregulated industry and how even experienced investors can be vulnerable.

The film explores the fascination that cryptocurrencies hold for opportunistic individuals and how the lack of regulation fosters such crimes.

Legal Proceedings and Long-Term Consequences for Ray Trapani

Investigations against Ray Trapani ultimately led to ten different charges—including criminal conspiracy and telematics fraud against platforms like Venmo and Miami Exotics. The list of accusations also included illegal weapons possession and drug offenses, demonstrating Trapani’s involvement in criminal activities on multiple levels.

In 2025, Ray Trapani pleaded guilty and was sentenced to prison, additionally ordered to pay $2,608,869 in restitution. His accomplices received similarly harsh sentences: Sohrab Sharma was ordered to repay $37,701,966, while Robert Farkas also faced hefty fines. These rulings signal that U.S. authorities are taking crypto fraud seriously.

Crypto Scams as a Wake-Up Call: From Centra Tech to SafeMoon

Ray Trapani’s story is not isolated. Alongside the Bitconned film on Netflix, other alarming cases have emerged in the crypto industry. The SafeMoon project filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy—one of the most severe forms of economic collapse in the U.S. The SEC accused the SafeMoon team of securities law violations, and the U.S. Department of Justice further stepped in, arresting those responsible for alleged fraud.

This series of scandals led to the formation of the DNMDCC (Darknet Marketplace and Digital Currency Crimes) Task Force in June 2023—a special unit dedicated solely to cryptocurrency crimes.

Ray Trapani Today: A Lesson for the Crypto Industry

Today, in 2026, Ray Trapani’s story serves as a cautionary tale for the entire crypto industry. While blockchain technology has legitimate applications, cases like Centra Tech and SafeMoon show that without strict regulation and oversight, scammers can thrive. The Netflix film Bitconned documents this dark side of an industry often promoting promises of decentralization and freedom.

For investors, the message remains clear: not every shiny promise in the crypto world is genuine, and Ray Trapani’s story is a warning of how easily trust can be exploited.