A federal judge in Los Angeles sentenced Jingliang Su to 46 months in prison for laundering $36.9 million stolen from 174 Americans through fake cryptocurrency trading platforms.
The 45-year-old Chinese national also received a $26,867,242 restitution order from U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner.
Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business. The conviction followed federal prosecutors documenting how international criminal networks based in Cambodia contacted U.S. victims via social media, dating apps, and unsolicited messages to promote fraudulent digital asset investments.
The case exemplifies broader cryptocurrency fraud trends identified by Chainalysis, which estimated losses from crypto scams reached $17 billion in 2025.
Impersonation tactics and AI-enabled schemes drove average scam payments from $782 in 2024 to $2,764 in 2025, representing a 253% year-over-year increase.
What Happened
Co-conspirators created fake websites resembling legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms and convinced victims to transfer funds for investments. The scammers displayed fabricated gains while actually stealing victim money, according to court documents reviewed by prosecutors.
Stolen funds moved through U.S. shell companies and international bank accounts before reaching a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas. Su and co-conspirators directed Deltec to convert victim funds into Tether stablecoin and transfer the USDT to digital asset wallets controlled in Cambodia.
From Cambodia, co-conspirators distributed the converted funds to scam center leaders throughout Southeast Asia. Eight co-conspirators pleaded guilty, including Shengsheng He and Jose Somarriba, who received sentences of 51 months and 36 months respectively.
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Cambodia Scam Center Operations
The sentencing reflects law enforcement efforts targeting scam centers in Cambodia and Myanmar, where trafficking victims are reportedly forced to operate cryptocurrency fraud schemes.
The Justice Department's Criminal Division draws expertise from cybercrime, money laundering, and transnational organized crime divisions to investigate these operations.
Chainalysis data shows strong connections between crypto crime and East and Southeast Asian criminal networks. Scam operations have become increasingly industrialized with sophisticated infrastructure including phishing-as-a-service tools, AI-generated deepfakes, and professional money laundering networks.
Su has remained in federal custody since December 2024. The investigation involved the U.S. Secret Service Global Investigative Operations Center, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the Dominican National Police.
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