‘Mutant Ape Planet’ NFT Seller Hired Madoff Lawyer in Fraud Case

The Frenchman charged in the US with defrauding buyers of his “Mutant Ape Planet” non-fungible tokens out of more than $2.9 million in cryptocurrency has hired Bernard Madoff’s lead criminal defense lawyer.

Aurelien Michel, who was arrested earlier this month at a New York City airport, tapped Ira Sorkin and his law firm Mintz & Gold LLP to represent him in the matter, the lawyer confirmed by telephone Tuesday.

Sorkin said he and his colleagues Adam Brody and Halle Preston are seeking to get Michel, 24, released on bail. Michel’s first bail package was rejected as “insufficient” by a ...