Jan 9, 2025
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Developer of Undead Apes NFT Project Dies After Fraud Conviction

Alabama resident Berman Nowlin, aged 21, died by suicide following his conviction for wire fraud and money laundering related to the Undead Apes Society rug pull. The court ruling occurred just three weeks prior, with sentencing scheduled for January.

Key details include:

  • Nowlin developed smart contracts for the project.
  • The Undead Apes Society launched three NFT collections on Solana in early 2022.
  • Initial minting involved 2,500 NFTs at 0.05 SOL each and 750 “Lady Apes” at 0.75 SOL each.
  • Floor prices surged to 3.6 SOL and 6 SOL shortly after minting.
  • The team abandoned the project after a failed collaboration announcement, leading to an 85% crash in NFT prices.
  • Authorities traced $161,548 from the rug pull, split between Nowlin and co-defendant Devin Rhoden.
  • Rhoden received five years probation after pleading guilty.

Nowlin had autism and was described as intelligent but emotionally immature, largely engaging with online communities.

The case highlights the personal impact of cryptocurrency fraud, contrasting with typical perceptions of such events in the digital space.