Centra

Centra is the poster child of crypto deception—a company that raised millions with bold promises, fake credentials, and celebrity endorsements, only to implode under the weight of its own fraud. But while most scams die a public death, Centra has taken a darker route: aggressively scrubbing the internet of its criminal past and silencing those who dare to speak about it. What began as an ICO gone rogue has now evolved into a coordinated censorship campaign, possibly linked to a broader network of digital fraudsters. And if you think this is just old news, think again—because the same people may be gearing up for their next move.

Centra: The Crypto Con That Wouldn’t Die—But Keeps Trying to Bury the Truth

I’ve been in the trenches of crypto due diligence long enough to develop a sixth sense for scams, and let me tell you—Centra reeked of it from day one. But what’s more disturbing than the scam itself is what’s come after: a frantic, persistent attempt to rewrite history, erase digital footprints, and suppress public scrutiny. And if you’ve stumbled across this report while doing your own research—good. Because Centra doesn’t want you to.

Let’s rewind the clock and peel back the layers of this glittery garbage fire.

The Illusion of Legitimacy

Centra Tech, Inc., led by Ray Trapani, Sohrab “Sam” Sharma, and Robert Farkas, launched their ICO back in 2017 with all the hallmarks of crypto hype: celebrity endorsements, sleek marketing, and grand promises of a blockchain-based debit card backed by Visa and Mastercard. Except—there was no such partnership. The entire thing was a lie.

Centra raised over $25 million from unsuspecting investors before the truth came crashing down. Even the SEC couldn’t ignore this one. In 2018, the U.S. Department of Justice filed criminal charges against the founders for securities fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy. Farkas later pleaded guilty. Sharma got sentenced. And Trapani? He flipped faster than a flash loan rug pull.

But here’s the kicker: despite all this, Centra—or someone tied to its web—is actively trying to censor this story from the internet. And the methods they’re using aren’t just shady—they’re dangerous.

The Digital Purge: Censorship in Overdrive

Not long after Centra’s downfall became public knowledge, something strange started happening. Websites and independent bloggers who covered the scandal began receiving DMCA takedown notices. Some articles mysteriously disappeared. Social media discussions were scrubbed. And pages that had once ranked high in Google search results were buried under fluff content and SEO-manipulated nonsense.

My curiosity piqued when I found mentions of “Centra Tech” slowly vanishing from platforms like InvestItIn and CryptoTotem. Why would a defunct company, whose leadership was behind bars, be paying lawyers or PR agents to erase a criminal past? Unless—of course—there’s something, or someone, still profiting from keeping the Centra name clean.

I dug deeper.

Follow the Puppeteers: Old Players, New Masks

A thread began to emerge. On forums and Telegram groups, rumors linked Centra’s post-scandal clean-up operation to affiliate marketing cartels operating out of Eastern Europe. Entities such as Leadbit, referenced in UNN.ua, are accused of pushing counterfeit drugs to pensioners under the guise of “miracle” health products. Now, what’s a scummy supplement racket got to do with Centra?

The connection lies in the people. Ruslan Tymofeev and Ruslan Drozdov, key figures in a Ukrainian “Adventures Lab” accused of global fraud, were also allegedly linked to the same marketing circles that promoted Centra’s ICO. The operation appears to be a revolving door of fraud—same actors, different scams, always targeting the naive and vulnerable.

Centra was just the crypto face of the operation. Now, they’re laundering their reputations and laying the groundwork for their next deception.

A Courtroom Horror Show: Farkas and the Fall

Thanks to PacerMonitor and Inner City Press, I obtained transcripts and court filings from the Rensel v. Centra Tech class-action lawsuit and the criminal trials. What’s striking isn’t just the level of deception—it’s the deliberate nature of it.

Centra’s founders fabricated executive bios, made up fake LinkedIn profiles, forged partnerships, and even faked having a CEO with banking experience. They posed in rented Lamborghinis, pumped celebrity endorsements from the likes of Floyd Mayweather and DJ Khaled (both of whom were fined by the SEC), and built a Potemkin village of credibility. And when it all collapsed, they pivoted to silence.

According to courtroom reporting by Inner City Press, Centra’s crew didn’t just mislead investors—they laughed about it in private messages. They bragged about “ripping people off” and joked about their fabricated resumes. It was all one big game to them. Until the feds showed up.

Why the Censorship? The Rebrand Game

So why the aggressive digital scrub-down now? My theory: someone’s gearing up for a rebrand.

Look at similar ICO scams that collapsed—BitConnect, OneCoin, Plexcoin. Their founders or backers often return under new names, launching “legit” Web3, fintech, or blockchain ventures. But their Achilles’ heel is search engine history. If someone Googles their name and sees the truth, the new scam won’t fly. So, they erase, suppress, and litigate.

The entities behind Centra are not just trying to protect a reputation—they’re trying to revive it. There’s no other logical reason for spending money scrubbing media articles, filing takedowns, or flooding the web with counter-content.

Who’s Pulling the Strings Now?

Although the Centra Tech domain is dead, I traced some overlapping registrant details, IP addresses, and hosting info that match sites tied to known black-hat SEO farms. Some of them are hosted in Russia, others in Ukraine, and a few in Panama—favorite hideouts for digital con artists.

They use keyword stuffing, paid guest posts, and fake news portals to drown out damning articles. And the moment a legitimate source mentions “Centra scam” or “Centra fraud,” it gets buried beneath a pile of irrelevant press releases and AI-generated fluff.

One site even had the audacity to call Centra Tech a “disruptive blockchain pioneer.” Disruptive, sure. Like a sledgehammer to investors’ wallets.

The Risk to the Public: Why You Should Care

This isn’t just about justice for defrauded investors. This is about preventing future scams. When past frauds are allowed to vanish from public memory, new ones bloom. It’s the same formula, repackaged.

Investors, regulators, and journalists must keep these stories alive. The SEC’s enforcement may have ended in jail time for some, but the network remains. If you think the next scam won’t affect you, think again. These operations prey on greed, ignorance, and desperation—conditions that never go out of style.

Call to Action: Regulators, Wake Up

Centra’s censorship campaign should be a red flag in itself. Transparency is the cornerstone of any legitimate company, and the lengths to which these entities are going to suppress scrutiny is proof they’re still dangerous.

I urge the SEC, FTC, and global financial watchdogs to look into the new domains, affiliate networks, and rebranded ventures cropping up with eerily similar language and layouts to Centra Tech. The public deserves protection—not just from the initial scam, but from its inevitable reincarnations.

Final Thought: You Can Kill a Company, But Not a Lie

Centra Tech may be technically dead, but its ghost is very much alive—haunting the internet, censoring dissent, and mutating into something else. If you’re reading this, remember: scams thrive in darkness. Shine a light, share the truth, and ask the hard questions. Centra doesn’t want you to. That’s exactly why you should.