Topline: A federal judge sentenced Jingliang Su for laundering millions stolen from U.S. investors through Cambodian scam centers.
Published: February 2, 2026 8:24 am ET
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Image via Nano Banana
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Chinese national was sentenced on Jan. 27 to 46 months in federal prison for laundering more than $36.9 million stolen from U.S. investors in an international cryptocurrency conspiracy.
Jingliang Su must also pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the defendants “weaponized” the internet for fraud. Duva said the scammers targeted people through phones and social media to steal money.
Federal authorities said the conspiracy operated from scam centers in Cambodia. The network targeted Americans using social media, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services.
Prosecutors characterized the scheme as a “pig butchering” tactic, a method where scammers build a victim’s trust before stealing their savings. Su’s plea agreement detailed 174 victims, many of whom lost their life savings in the digital fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Su and his international crew posed as legitimate investment advisors. Victims monitored fake dashboards showing profits, which prompted more deposits totaling $36.9 million.
Co-conspirators gained the trust of victims before promoting fraudulent digital asset investments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The group used fake websites that looked like legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms.
Victims sent funds to the fake websites believing their investments were gaining value. In reality, the scammers stole the money and moved it through U.S. shell companies and international bank accounts.
Court documents show that over $36.9 million in victim funds moved from U.S. accounts to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas. Su and others directed the bank to convert the money into the stablecoin Tether.
The converted funds were transferred to a digital asset wallet in Cambodia. Co-conspirators then distributed the Tether to leaders of scam centers throughout that region, as reported by the U.S. Secret Service.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said the case shows the dark side of new investment opportunities. Essayli urged the public to remain cautious when approached with unsolicited offers.
The sentencing is part of a broader investigation into global scam center operations. The U.S. Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center led the investigation.
Other agencies provided assistance, including Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. State Department. The Dominican National Police and U.S. Marshals Service also aided the case.
Su is one of eight co-conspirators who have pleaded guilty in the case, according to International Comparative Legal Guides. Other defendants include ShengSheng He and Jose Somarriba.
He was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Somarriba received a 36-month sentence for the same charge, per Investment Executive.
The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case alongside the Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Since 2020, the computer crime section has secured convictions against more than 180 cybercriminals. Courts have ordered the return of more than $350 million in victim funds during that period.
Officials said they are using a network of international prosecutors to coordinate with foreign law enforcement. This effort aims to disrupt the digital infrastructure used by scammers to target U.S. citizens.
The Justice Department encourages anyone who believes they are a victim of digital asset investment fraud to report the activity at IC3.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Chinese National Sentenced For Role In $37M Fraud Targeting Americans
A federal judge sentenced Jingliang Su for laundering millions stolen from U.S. investors through Cambodian scam centers.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 2, 2026 8:24 am ET
Image via Nano Banana
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Chinese national was sentenced on Jan. 27 to 46 months in federal prison for laundering more than $36.9 million stolen from U.S. investors in an international cryptocurrency conspiracy.
Jingliang Su must also pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the defendants “weaponized” the internet for fraud. Duva said the scammers targeted people through phones and social media to steal money.
Federal authorities said the conspiracy operated from scam centers in Cambodia. The network targeted Americans using social media, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services.
Prosecutors characterized the scheme as a “pig butchering” tactic, a method where scammers build a victim’s trust before stealing their savings. Su’s plea agreement detailed 174 victims, many of whom lost their life savings in the digital fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Su and his international crew posed as legitimate investment advisors. Victims monitored fake dashboards showing profits, which prompted more deposits totaling $36.9 million.
Co-conspirators gained the trust of victims before promoting fraudulent digital asset investments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The group used fake websites that looked like legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms.
Victims sent funds to the fake websites believing their investments were gaining value. In reality, the scammers stole the money and moved it through U.S. shell companies and international bank accounts.
Court documents show that over $36.9 million in victim funds moved from U.S. accounts to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas. Su and others directed the bank to convert the money into the stablecoin Tether.
The converted funds were transferred to a digital asset wallet in Cambodia. Co-conspirators then distributed the Tether to leaders of scam centers throughout that region, as reported by the U.S. Secret Service.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said the case shows the dark side of new investment opportunities. Essayli urged the public to remain cautious when approached with unsolicited offers.
The sentencing is part of a broader investigation into global scam center operations. The U.S. Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center led the investigation.
Other agencies provided assistance, including Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. State Department. The Dominican National Police and U.S. Marshals Service also aided the case.
Su is one of eight co-conspirators who have pleaded guilty in the case, according to International Comparative Legal Guides. Other defendants include ShengSheng He and Jose Somarriba.
He was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Somarriba received a 36-month sentence for the same charge, per Investment Executive.
The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case alongside the Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Since 2020, the computer crime section has secured convictions against more than 180 cybercriminals. Courts have ordered the return of more than $350 million in victim funds during that period.
Officials said they are using a network of international prosecutors to coordinate with foreign law enforcement. This effort aims to disrupt the digital infrastructure used by scammers to target U.S. citizens.
The Justice Department encourages anyone who believes they are a victim of digital asset investment fraud to report the activity at IC3.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Chinese National Sentenced For Role In $37M Fraud Targeting Americans
A federal judge sentenced Jingliang Su for laundering millions stolen from U.S. investors through Cambodian scam centers.
By Kate Byrd
Published: February 2, 2026 8:24 am ET
Image via Nano Banana
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Chinese national was sentenced on Jan. 27 to 46 months in federal prison for laundering more than $36.9 million stolen from U.S. investors in an international cryptocurrency conspiracy.
Jingliang Su must also pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division said the defendants “weaponized” the internet for fraud. Duva said the scammers targeted people through phones and social media to steal money.
Federal authorities said the conspiracy operated from scam centers in Cambodia. The network targeted Americans using social media, telephone calls, text messages, and online dating services.
Prosecutors characterized the scheme as a “pig butchering” tactic, a method where scammers build a victim’s trust before stealing their savings. Su’s plea agreement detailed 174 victims, many of whom lost their life savings in the digital fraud.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Su and his international crew posed as legitimate investment advisors. Victims monitored fake dashboards showing profits, which prompted more deposits totaling $36.9 million.
Co-conspirators gained the trust of victims before promoting fraudulent digital asset investments, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. The group used fake websites that looked like legitimate cryptocurrency trading platforms.
Victims sent funds to the fake websites believing their investments were gaining value. In reality, the scammers stole the money and moved it through U.S. shell companies and international bank accounts.
Court documents show that over $36.9 million in victim funds moved from U.S. accounts to a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas. Su and others directed the bank to convert the money into the stablecoin Tether.
The converted funds were transferred to a digital asset wallet in Cambodia. Co-conspirators then distributed the Tether to leaders of scam centers throughout that region, as reported by the U.S. Secret Service.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said the case shows the dark side of new investment opportunities. Essayli urged the public to remain cautious when approached with unsolicited offers.
The sentencing is part of a broader investigation into global scam center operations. The U.S. Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center led the investigation.
Other agencies provided assistance, including Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. State Department. The Dominican National Police and U.S. Marshals Service also aided the case.
Su is one of eight co-conspirators who have pleaded guilty in the case, according to International Comparative Legal Guides. Other defendants include ShengSheng He and Jose Somarriba.
He was sentenced to 51 months in prison for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Somarriba received a 36-month sentence for the same charge, per Investment Executive.
The Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section prosecuted the case alongside the Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
Since 2020, the computer crime section has secured convictions against more than 180 cybercriminals. Courts have ordered the return of more than $350 million in victim funds during that period.
Officials said they are using a network of international prosecutors to coordinate with foreign law enforcement. This effort aims to disrupt the digital infrastructure used by scammers to target U.S. citizens.
The Justice Department encourages anyone who believes they are a victim of digital asset investment fraud to report the activity at IC3.gov.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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