Hollywood exec embezzled $22M to gamble on crypto and play poker

A former digital marketing executive has admitted to embezzling more than $22 million of his employer’s funds to use for cryptocurrency gambling and personal expenses.

Cincinnati resident Daniel Bleiden pleaded guilty to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft last week. He’d previously served as vice president of accounting and finance at StyleHaul, the seminal digital media company for the fashion, lifestyle, and beauty industries, which shut down earlier this year.

The Department of Justice noted that during his time at the company, Bleiden had abused his authority to smuggle company money into his personal bank account, later loading his cryptocurrency accounts with more than $8 million.

Court documents reportedly showed Bleiden “frequently” gambled with cryptocurrency he purchased. Bleiden was also said to have sent $1.2 million in personal checks to poker players, and used $1.1 million to pay off his personal…