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Crypto Dispensers, Operating Under Virtual Assets, Inc., Sets the Next Standard for Regulated Cash-to-Bitcoin Infrastructure
Crypto Dispensers, operating under Virtual Assets, Inc., today detailed the evolution of its cash-to-Bitcoin platform, its long-standing compliance posture, and the institutional controls supporting its operations across the United States.
Founded during the early years of Bitcoin adoption, Crypto Dispensers was among the first companies to enable consumers to acquire Bitcoin using cash. Over nearly a decade of continuous operation, the company has navigated rapid technological change, fragmented state-by-state requirements, and an often restrictive banking environment for digital asset businesses.
By 2019, less than three years after launching, Crypto Dispensers made a deliberate strategic decision to reduce reliance on standalone hardware and invest in software-led infrastructure integrated into regulated financial and retail systems. The decision reflected a clear assessment that software-based delivery scales more efficiently, lowers operating costs, removes the capital and maintenance burden of physical machines, and expands access for cash-dependent users. Embedding cash access within familiar retail environments also improves transparency, consistency, and affordability while allowing the platform to grow without the constraints imposed by hardware deployment.
The company invested early in compliance, governance, audits, and regulated counterparties as part of this transition. These investments increased operating complexity and slowed short-term growth, but they enabled the company to build infrastructure capable of sustaining long-term scale.
This approach led to the development of Bitcoin POP, a cashier-verified cash-to-Bitcoin platform embedded within national retail environments. The platform enables users to fund accounts with cash in staffed, familiar locations and access Bitcoin quickly through the Crypto Dispensers application, while operating within defined limits and monitored payment flows.
Compliance, Security, and Governance
Crypto Dispensers operates as a registered money services business and maintains a comprehensive compliance program that has been continuously expanded over time. The company’s controls include anti-money laundering procedures, risk-based identity verification, transaction monitoring, sanctions screening, escalation protocols, independent testing, and internal audits. These systems have been built, reviewed, and refined through years of operating experience across multiple jurisdictions.
To formalize enterprise-grade security and internal controls, Virtual Assets, Inc. completed a SOC 2 Type II audit covering security, availability, and confidentiality. The audit process was supported by Prescient Security, an independent cybersecurity firm that conducted penetration testing, security assessments, and validation of technical controls; Eden Data, a compliance advisory firm that guided control design, documentation, and alignment with the Trust Services Criteria; and Drata, a compliance automation platform used to maintain continuous control monitoring and audit readiness.
Together, these efforts established documented governance structures, access controls, incident response procedures, and continuous monitoring systems that support secure and reliable operations.
Legal and Regulatory Context
Federal and regulatory proceedings currently relate to historical operations conducted under the company’s prior legal entity, Virtual Assets LLC. Crypto Dispensers has operated under Virtual Assets, Inc. for more than a year following its conversion to a C-corporation, a step taken to support institutional governance and enable venture capital and other forms of outside investment.
Virtual Assets LLC is no longer the operating entity of the business. The charges brought by the government relate to that prior entity and to historical activity predating the company’s current corporate structure and operating framework.
Virtual Assets LLC has formally responded to the allegations and disputes the government’s conclusions. The company believes the claims stem from misunderstandings of how cash-to-Bitcoin infrastructure operates in practice, particularly during a period marked by regulatory uncertainty, shifting policy priorities, and inconsistent treatment of digital asset businesses across jurisdictions.
During that period, Crypto Dispensers operated openly, maintained its federal registration, and continued to strengthen its compliance systems in response to audits, supervisory feedback, and evolving expectations. These efforts occurred alongside broader industry-wide banking pressure commonly referred to as Operation Choke Point 2.0, which constrained access to financial services for many compliant crypto businesses.
The company is represented in federal matters by Katten Law Firm, a nationally recognized firm advising banks, fintech companies, and payment institutions on complex financial services regulation and enforcement matters. For state-level regulatory and licensing matters, the company has engaged Cogent Law Firm, which advises digital asset and payments companies on multi-state regulatory compliance.
Virtual Assets LLC has cooperated extensively with authorities while continuing to defend itself through the appropriate legal process. Crypto Dispensers remains confident that the factual record, including its sustained compliance investments and operating history, will be fully evaluated through that process.
“Building durable Bitcoin infrastructure requires discipline, clarity, and a long-term view,” said Firas Isa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer. “From the outset, we focused on operating within the financial system, securing banking relationships, undergoing audits, and continuously strengthening our controls as expectations evolved. That work shaped how we design our platform and how we scale it. Our objective has always been to deliver fast, accessible Bitcoin access that functions reliably in real-world environments and stands up to scrutiny over time.”
Strategic Direction
Virtual Assets, Inc. continues to scale operations while evaluating strategic outcomes consistent with its market position. These include institutional and venture investment, strategic partnerships, and potential transactions with established financial or technology platforms seeking regulated cash-to-Bitcoin infrastructure.
The company operates in coordination with publicly traded, financially regulated banking partners and national retail chains that provide staffed, well-lit environments for cash funding. These relationships support built-in oversight, consumer safeguards, and operational transparency.
Crypto Dispensers remains fully operational and focused on execution. The company believes the future of cash-to-Bitcoin access will be shaped by infrastructure that delivers speed, accessibility, and reliability while operating within lawful frameworks that protect consumers and the integrity of the financial system.
About Crypto Dispensers and Virtual Assets, Inc.
Crypto Dispensers is the consumer-facing brand of Virtual Assets, Inc., a Chicago-based financial technology company focused on regulated cash-to-Bitcoin infrastructure. Founded during the early era of Bitcoin access in the United States, the company has evolved alongside the industry, developing software-led platforms that enable consumers to purchase Bitcoin through cashier-verified cash deposits at major retail locations nationwide. Virtual Assets, Inc. emphasizes compliance, consumer protection, enterprise security, and durable financial infrastructure.
For more information, visit www.cryptodispensers.com
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San Diego Civil Rights & Criminal Defense Attorneys Tim Scott and Marcus Bourassa of McKenzie Scott PC Selected to 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
San Diego, CATim Scott earns San Diego Super Lawyers recognition for the 15th year; Marcus Bourassa named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for the 5th year, as the firm behind an $85 million civil rights verdict and record wrongful-death settlement against San Diego County continues to set the standard
Tim Scott earns San Diego Super Lawyers recognition for the 15th year; Marcus Bourassa named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for the 5th year, as the firm behind an $85 million civil rights verdict and record wrongful-death settlement against San Diego County continues to set the standard
San Diego, CA
McKenzie Scott PC, the San Diego civil rights and criminal defense law firm known for record-setting results against government agencies, today announced that two of its trial attorneys have been recognized by Super Lawyers. Founding partner Tim Scott has been selected to the 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers list, marking his 15th year receiving the honor, and trial attorney Marcus Bourassa has been selected to the 2027 San Diego Rising Stars list, marking his 5th year of recognition.
Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters service, selects attorneys through a patented process that combines peer nominations, independent research, and evaluation of professional accomplishments. No more than 5% of attorneys nationwide are named to a regional Super Lawyers list, and no more than 2.5% are named to a regional Rising Stars list, which recognizes outstanding lawyers who are 40 or younger or have been in practice 10 years or less. Both attorneys will be featured in the San Diego Super Lawyers magazine, scheduled for publication on March 18, 2027.
Together, the two selections reflect the depth of a trial team that has secured some of the largest police misconduct, jail death, and wrongful death results in California history while maintaining one of the region’s most active federal criminal defense trial practices.
Tim Scott: 15 Years as a San Diego Super Lawyer
A graduate of Stanford Law School, San Diego civil rights attorney Tim Scott has defended people’s constitutional rights in the courtroom for more than 20 years. He began his career as a trial attorney with Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. before co-founding McKenzie Scott PC with Michele Akemi McKenzie. Peers have consistently recognized him as a San Diego Super Lawyer and Southern California Super Lawyer in both trial-court and appellate categories.
Scott served as lead trial counsel in K.J.P. v. County of San Diego, which produced an $85 million verdict, at the time the largest wrongful-death verdict against police in American history. As a criminal defense lawyer, he has approximately 80 civil and criminal jury trials to his credit, with acquittals, mistrials, or reversals on appeal in approximately three-quarters of his criminal cases. His Ninth Circuit appellate record includes reversals in securities fraud, wire fraud, RICO, bank robbery, and identity theft cases, and extensive litigation surrounding Fourth Amendment issues.
Scott is also the co-author, with retired federal district judge Larry A. Burns, of The Ninth Circuit Criminal Handbook (LexisNexis/Matthew Bender), a criminal law restatement relied on by practitioners and judges throughout the Ninth Circuit. The San Diego Criminal Defense Bar Association named him its 2016 Trial Lawyer of the Year.
Marcus Bourassa: 5 Years as a Super Lawyers Rising Star
Trial attorney Marcus Bourassa holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Stanford University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. Between his studies, he served as an intelligence officer in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Afghanistan. After law school, he clerked for the Honorable Christina A. Snyder of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, then joined the federal defender’s office in San Diego, where he tried numerous cases to verdict, argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and earned numerous federal felony dismissals.
Bourassa practices across the firm’s civil rights and federal criminal defense groups. He served as co-counsel in the Brian Umana police shooting case, which produced the largest police wrongful death settlement in National City history, and is admitted to practice in California state and federal courts and the Ninth Circuit.
A Record of Landmark Civil Rights Results
The recognition follows a series of record-setting case results that have made McKenzie Scott PC one of the most recognized civil rights law firms in California. In each case below, the firm took on a government agency over a preventable death and secured the largest result of its kind for the jurisdiction involved.
$85 Million Verdict: K.J.P. v. County of San Diego (Lucky Phounsy)
In 2022, a jury awarded $85 million to the family of Lucky Phounsy after finding San Diego County Sheriff’s deputies responsible for his death. Phounsy called 911 in 2015 during a mental health crisis; deputies tased, struck, and hogtied him before restraining him face down in an ambulance, where his heart stopped. Tim Scott tried the case to verdict with co-counsel Mark F. Fleming. At the time, it was the largest police death verdict in U.S. history.
$16 Million Settlement: Estate of Hayden Schuck v. County of San Diego
In October 2025, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors approved a $16 million settlement for the family of 22-year-old William Hayden Schuck, who died of dehydration and untreated drug withdrawal after six days in San Diego Central Jail. It is the largest wrongful death settlement against San Diego County in its history and resulted in mandatory deputy training reforms on recognizing mental illness and substance withdrawal. Tim Scott was lead counsel on the McKenzie Scott trial team that represented the Schuck family. Learn more about the firm’s jail injury and in-custody death practice.
$1 Million Settlement: The Brian Umana Case, National City
In February 2025, the National City Council approved a $1 million settlement, reportedly the largest police wrongful death payment in the city’s history, over the 2021 shooting death of Brian Umana, a 28-year-old father shot at least ten times by officers during a mental health crisis. Tim Scott and Marcus Bourassa served as co-counsel alongside civil rights attorney Emily Howe of the Law Offices of Emily E. Howe.
Federal Criminal Defense Trial Experience
McKenzie Scott PC’s federal criminal defense practice is built largely from alumni of Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc., the office appointed to represent people accused of federal crimes in the Southern District of California, one of the busiest federal criminal dockets in the country. Across more than 80 jury trials, approximately three-quarters of the firm’s criminal trials have resulted in acquittals, hung juries, or success on appeal.
The firm defends clients in federal and state investigations and prosecutions, including:
- White-collar crimes, including wire, mail, bank, and securities fraud
- Money laundering and honest services fraud
- Insurance fraud and health care fraud
- Border arrests, drug trafficking, and immigration offenses
- Firearms, RICO, theft of trade secrets, and cybercrime charges
- Federal appeals before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Frequently Asked Questions
Who at McKenzie Scott PC was selected to 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers?
Founding partner Tim Scott was selected to the 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers list, his 15th year of Super Lawyers recognition. Trial attorney Marcus Bourassa was selected to the 2027 San Diego Rising Stars list, his 5th year of recognition.
What is the difference between Super Lawyers and Rising Stars?
Super Lawyers recognizes no more than 5% of attorneys in each region. Rising Stars recognizes no more than 2.5% of attorneys in each region who are 40 or younger or have practiced 10 years or less. Both lists are based on peer input, independent research, and professional achievement.
What is the largest wrongful death settlement against San Diego County?
The largest wrongful death settlement against San Diego County in its history is the $16 million settlement McKenzie Scott PC secured in 2025 for the family of Hayden Schuck, who died in San Diego Central Jail custody.
What was the largest police in-custody death verdict in the United States?
In 2022, a San Diego jury awarded $85 million to the family of Lucky Phounsy in K.J.P. v. County of San Diego. At the time, it was the largest police death verdict in American history. McKenzie Scott PC founding partner Tim Scott tried the case.
Does McKenzie Scott PC handle federal criminal defense cases?
Yes. McKenzie Scott PC is a San Diego federal criminal defense firm whose attorneys trained at Federal Defenders of San Diego. The firm handles white-collar crimes, insurance fraud, money laundering, border arrests, drug trafficking, and firearms cases, along with federal appeals in the Ninth Circuit.
How do I contact a San Diego civil rights or criminal defense attorney at McKenzie Scott PC?
Call McKenzie Scott PC at (619) 794-0451 or request a free case evaluation online. The firm’s office is located at 1350 Columbia Street, Suite 600, San Diego, California 92101.
About McKenzie Scott PC
Led by founding partners Michele Akemi McKenzie and Tim Scott and protecting civil rights and providing criminal defense since 2000, McKenzie Scott PC is a San Diego trial firm that fights for the little guy against the power of government and corporate money. The firm represents clients throughout Southern California in civil rights litigation, including police misconduct, jail injury and in-custody death, and police-involved dog shooting cases; criminal defense and federal criminal defense; and personal injury, wrongful death, and employment law matters. Meet the full team of trial attorneys, review featured cases and trial results, or see the firm in the news. Attorneys seeking to co-counsel may visit the attorney referrals page.
Media Contact Information
Jason Kitchen
McKenzie Scott PC
1350 Columbia Street, Suite 600, San Diego, CA 92101
[email protected]
Phone: (619) 794-0451
Web: mckenziescott.com
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are selections made by Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business.
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Kelsie Kimberlin’s Award Winning Film, “The Last Message,” Will Premiere At LA’s Royal Theater 9-13 October
LOS ANGELES, CAKelsie Kimberlin, a popular American Ukrainian singer and foundation director, traveled to Ukraine to film a movie chronicling her quest to find answers about the death of her 21-year-old cousin, Andrii Rachok, after he was killed by terrorists. Kelsie spent a month in Ukraine, including all along the frontline, amidst drones and missile attacks, to […]
LOS ANGELES, CA
Kelsie Kimberlin, a popular American Ukrainian singer and foundation director, traveled to Ukraine to film a movie chronicling her quest to find answers about the death of her 21-year-old cousin, Andrii Rachok, after he was killed by terrorists. Kelsie spent a month in Ukraine, including all along the frontline, amidst drones and missile attacks, to seek absolution and forgiveness. She realized that every Ukrainian has felt the pain of loss, but they remain committed to victory over the enemy. She tells the stories of ordinary citizens who fight the demogorgon in their own way.
Kelsie is the only international artist to be permitted to travel to the frontline to film a movie. Her music videos about Ukraine have generated millions of YouTube views, and her songs have received global radio play and thousands of articles. “Everyone needs to see my movie to understand the effect of the war on ordinary citizens,” said Kelsie. “We all need to come together to defeat the terrorists.”
After the screenings of October 9th and 10th at 7:30 and October 11th at 3:20, Kelsie will answer questions from the audience about the film and Ukraine. Tickets for the screenings are available here. https://www.laemmle.com/film/last-message
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JustFor.fans Introduces Local Payment Options Across Latin America
LOS ANGELES, CAJustFor.fans (JFF) has expanded access for fans across Latin America with new local payment options in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, announced during the inaugural GRABBYS Latin Awards in Medellín. JFF users in Brazil can now pay through Pix, while fans in Mexico can use SPEI and Colombian users can access the platform through PSE, giving customers […]
LOS ANGELES, CA
JustFor.fans (JFF) has expanded access for fans across Latin America with new local payment options in Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, announced during the inaugural GRABBYS Latin Awards in Medellín.
JFF users in Brazil can now pay through Pix, while fans in Mexico can use SPEI and Colombian users can access the platform through PSE, giving customers who may not use credit cards a familiar way to support models on JFF. The rollout follows the platform’s recent expansion into fully translated Spanish and Portuguese experiences and comes as JFF strengthens its presence across a region with significant model and fan communities.
“This past weekend, at the award show, we launched local payments from 3 countries with major JFF fanbases: Brazil (Pix), Mexico (SPEI) and Colombia (PSE),” said JFF founder Dominic Ford. “By accepting payments via these local methods, we are making it easier for fans without credit cards to access our site and our models. Additionally, we launched the site fully in Spanish and Portuguese a month ago.”
JustFor.fans’ involvement with the inaugural GRABBYS Latin Awards builds on its strong Latin American presence, including events in Mexico such as Collab Week Puerto Vallarta, as the platform broadens its outreach to fans and models across the region.
Visit JustFor.fans and follow on X @JustForFansSite & Bluesky @justfor.fans
About JustFor.fans
JustFor.fans (JFF) is a leading premium online adult community and self-publishing platform that engages models – straight, gay, trans & non-binary – with their fans in a private and secure setting.
A leader in anti-piracy JFF was launched in 2018 by esteemed filmmaker and entrepreneur Dominic Ford (DominicFord.com) and shaped with the idea of offering a platform where entertainers have the opportunity to act as their own producers/distributors with complete control over their own artistic works and performances.
With more than 15 years of building membership sites, Ford and his team’s objective is to offer JustFor.fans models several different avenues for making money on the site, including custom video clips, live cam shows, direct messaging and an online store. “We are committed to making JustFor.fans the Number One destination for ambitious content creators.”
X: @bsgpr
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San Diego Civil Rights & Criminal Defense Attorneys Tim Scott and Marcus Bourassa of McKenzie Scott PC Selected to 2027 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising Stars Lists
Kelsie Kimberlin’s Award Winning Film, “The Last Message,” Will Premiere At LA’s Royal Theater 9-13 October
JustFor.fans Introduces Local Payment Options Across Latin America
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