Ben Pasternak, the 26-year-old entrepreneur behind plant-based brand Simulate and crypto platform Believe, was arrested in New York this week and charged after an alleged March 31 confrontation inside a Midtown luxury hotel. He was hit with counts that include second-degree strangulation and related assaults, pleaded not guilty at arraignment, and is due back in Manhattan Criminal Court on June 11. His legal team insists he acted in lawful self-defense and is challenging the allegations.
According to New York court filings reviewed by Decrypt, prosecutors charged Pasternak with one count of second-degree strangulation and two counts of assault with intent to cause physical injury stemming from the March 31 incident. The documents list the strangulation charge as a felony and the assault counts as misdemeanors, and they show Pasternak entering a not guilty plea at his arraignment.
The complaint says the episode unfolded inside the Baccarat Hotel on West 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, and alleges the woman involved later sought medical treatment for redness and pain to her neck and throat, along with bruising to her arms and hips. The New York Post reported those details. As the case picked up steam online, fans and followers began resurfacing older photos and clips that commenters claim show marks on the woman, a social-media response that Gizmodo summarized.
Pasternak’s attorney, Josh Kirshner, told reporters that his client "is innocent and acted in lawful self-defense," and a spokeswoman for Pasternak said the couple had already broken up before the alleged scuffle, according to coverage in the New York Post. Those statements set up what is likely to be a sharply contested version of events once the case moves forward.
The arrest also drops a criminal case on top of an already brewing civil battle. On March 23, plaintiffs Joshua Lee and Pierre Montmeas filed a federal class action in the Southern District of New York that accuses Pasternak and related entities of running token migrations and other maneuvers that allegedly wiped out retail holders while enriching insiders. ClaimDepot and other legal-news outlets have laid out the complaint’s allegations and the damages being sought.
Pasternak first broke out in the startup world as the founder of Simulate, formerly NUGGS, a plant-based food company that attracted venture backing and reached a valuation of more than 250 million dollars during a 2021 financing round, as reported by Bloomberg. Industry coverage has noted that he sold Simulate in late 2024 before shifting his attention to the token business, a timeline that Decrypt has outlined.
What the Charge Means
Under New York law, strangulation in the second degree is classified as a violent felony, and a conviction can carry a substantial prison term, with the statute and legal commentary putting the maximum at roughly seven years depending on prior record and other factors. Courts and victim-services groups treat non-fatal strangulation as a serious red flag for future violence, which is why prosecutors often prioritize that charge in domestic-violence cases. The full statutory language is available from the New York State Legislature, and the text is posted by the New York State Senate.
For now, the criminal case and the investor lawsuit are moving on separate tracks. Pasternak is scheduled to return to Manhattan Criminal Court on June 11, while the federal class action proceeds in the Southern District of New York. The combination of alleged domestic violence and mounting investor claims has kept his name in the headlines as judges, lawyers and litigants start sorting through competing narratives and legal strategies.
