Ben Pasternak charged with strangulation at Manhattan hotel

Ben Pasternak, a 26-year-old Australian entrepreneur, was charged with second-degree strangulation and two counts of third-degree assault after prosecutors say he grabbed his then-girlfriend Evelyn Ha by the neck and slammed a door on her during an incident at the Baccarat Hotel on West 53rd Street in Manhattan on March 31.

Court documents state the encounter began when Ha, 27, attempted to record Pasternak on her phone. The filings say Pasternak put both hands around Ha’s neck, leaving marks, redness, throat pain and difficulty breathing, and repeatedly shut a door on her, producing bruises on her arms and hips. Ha posted on her YouTube channel on April 24, writing, “There were serious boundaries that were crossed, and I decided to move away from that relationship for the sake of my safety and my wellbeing. It’s still really raw for me… I’m just spending time with friends and family and just trying to take everything day by day.”

Pasternak was arrested April 22. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment and was released on personal recognizance, despite prosecutors asking for $30,000 bail. His lawyer, Josh Kirshner, told reporters that Pasternak pleaded not guilty because “he is truly not guilty and his actions were limited to defending himself against his aggressor and separating from him.”

A spokeswoman and friend, Dini von Mueffling, told authorities and associates that Ha was the aggressor and had been emotionally and physically abusive during the relationship, at times making violent threats. Those statements are part of the defense narrative and have not been proven in court.

Separately, investors Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas filed a class action on March 23 in the Southern District of New York naming Pasternak, B24 Inc., doing business as Believe, and the Believe Foundation. The complaint alleges consumers were misled about $BELIEVE token economics, that promised buybacks were not honored, and that a token swap diluted holdings by about 33 percent. Plaintiffs contend Pasternak personally benefited from creator fees.

Court filings and market data cited in the lawsuit show the platform handled more than $6 billion in token transactions and generated millions in fees before the $BELIEVE token’s price fell roughly 99 percent to under $0.00075. The plaintiffs are seeking the return of revenues they describe as unlawfully obtained, including $54 million.

Pasternak first gained attention as a teen entrepreneur, leaving high school at 15, creating iOS games and later selling a social app that reached millions of users. He founded a company behind a plant-based nugget product and was listed on a 30 Under 30 list before shifting to crypto and social tokens with Believe, a platform on the Solana blockchain that allows creators to mint tokens.

The criminal case will proceed in Manhattan criminal court while the civil suit continues in federal court. No criminal conviction or civil liability has been determined.