Big Vern Breaks Radio Silence to Defend Cryptsy from Hiding Place

After months on the run we finally get a sign of life from Paul “Big Vern” Vernon, the founder and CEO of now defunct Florida-based Bitcoin Exchange Cryptsy. He has reportedly reached out to local media in his former state to defend some of the actions he has taken regarding the firm and its 'hacking'.

According to the Miami New Times, a person claiming to be Vern contacted them and answered some questions via an email address believed to be his. He claims that after suffering a cyber attack that caused some bitcoins to be stolen, his plan was to use a portion of new revenue to replenish the wallets. "However, diminishing Bitcoin price and volume turned out to not go in our favor."

Vernon also says that the only funds he took out from Cryptsy (over $1 million) were legitimate salary and bonuses for his job as CEO.

Not coming back

Cryptsy clients' class action case says that Vernon and his wife, Lorie Ann Nettles, bought an expensive house in Florida and then divorced with the apparent goal of protecting their assets in case of any lawsuit before the exchange announced the hacking. However he now claims his ex-wife was not involved with Cryptsy in any way.

For her part, Nettles claims Vern ran away to China with his secret mistress and their love child that he hid from her for about a year.

Despite avoiding a question about cooperating with the court appointed receivership, it now seems very unlikely that Vern will return to the U.S to face the lawsuit because he thinks the lawyers don't even accept that he was hacked, and that that was the source of the problem not his behavior.