Richard Heart detained in Istanbul on Interpol Red Notice

Richard Heart, the American entrepreneur behind cryptocurrency tokens Hex and PulseChain, has been detained in Istanbul, Turkey. Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek confirmed that Richard James Schueler, known professionally as Heart, was apprehended on October 14 in the Beşiktaş district alongside his wife and three bodyguards.

The detention follows an Interpol Red Notice requested by Finland regarding allegations of aggravated tax fraud. Heart also faces prior legal scrutiny in the United States, where the SEC alleged he raised over $1 billion through unregistered securities offerings.

During coordinated raids across 15 properties in Beşiktaş, Üsküdar, and Sarıyer, Turkish authorities seized a significant amount of assets. According to the Justice Minister, investigators recovered approximately $7.15 million in U.S. currency, 160,000 Turkish lira, six cryptocurrency cold wallets, and hundreds of luxury items. Other reports indicated the seizure of firearms, ammunition, computers, and crypto mining equipment.