A dual citizen of China and the United States has admitted to involvement in a crypto scam, in which an estimated $73 million was laundered.
The defendant, 41-year-old Daren Li, confessed to his role in the scheme, which spanned various cryptocurrency scams and ran from August 2021 until April 2024. Li entered a guilty plea on November 11 in federal court in California, acknowledging conspiracy charges to commit money laundering.
As revealed in the plea agreement, Li actively directed others to open US-based bank accounts using shell companies. The objective was to obscure the origins and ownership of the illicit funds.
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According to court documents, once the stolen assets were funneled into these accounts, the funds were converted into Tether
Li's plea agreement also noted that $73.6 million in stolen funds flowed directly into bank accounts associated with the fraudulent network, with an additional $59.8 million being laundered through US-based shell companies.
Following months of covert investigation, Li was detained on April 12 at the Atlanta airport in Georgia, with his alleged co-conspirator, Yicheng Zhang, being taken into custody in Los Angeles on May 16.
Li now awaits sentencing, with the court date set for March 3, 2025. Should he receive the maximum penalty, Li could face up to 20 years in prison, in addition to a possible $500,000 fine—or twice the amount gained through his illegal activities.
Beyond these penalties, prosecutors have hinted at the possibility of restitution, suggesting that Li may be required to repay the victims, with the restitution amount potentially ranging from $4.5 million to the full $73 million involved in the scheme.
In other news, Caitlyn Jenner is facing a lawsuit from buyers over the crash of her celebrity-endorsed cryptocurrency. What led to this legal backlash? Read the full story.
