I believe you don't give enough credit to the scope of this pump and dump.
2008 was, more or less, a local US problem. Very few outsiders had their money in it. This one has the rest of the world's money involved as well.
And that, in my opinion, moves the center of gravity of that issue into different territory. Resentment.
Some involved in that raid are in it for the pain it causes those hedge funds, not for the money ( no matter how little true believers there are ).
If US punishes those kids, that resentment will only grow, and it'll grow among those not in US. The growth of us vs them mentality is the last thing anyone needs