Da Ying, Structuring Cash Deposits, CT 2024

Da Ying, 56, of Beijing, China, has pleaded guilty to orchestrating a deliberate scheme to evade federal financial reporting laws by structuring more than $464,000 in cash deposits across Connecticut banks. The defendant, formerly a resident of Farmington, Conn., admitted to breaking anti-money laundering rules designed to flag large currency transactions—rules he knowingly sidestepped to keep his movements under the radar.

Court records reveal that between April 2011 and March 2012, Ying structured or directed the structuring of 50 separate cash deposits—each just under the $10,000.01 threshold—into six different accounts held at four financial institutions. The deposits, often made on the same day at separate banks or on consecutive days, totaled $464,400. Prosecutors say the timing and pattern were no accident: Ying knew banks were required to file Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for any deposit exceeding $10,000, and he intentionally avoided triggering those alerts.

U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport accepted Ying’s guilty plea, entered without indictment. Federal law is clear: structuring cash deposits to dodge reporting requirements is a felony, regardless of whether the funds originated from legal sources. By slicing large sums into smaller transactions, Ying violated the Bank Secrecy Act—a cornerstone of federal financial oversight aimed at detecting illicit financial behavior.

Ying now faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine of $500,000 when sentenced on May 11, 2017. He was released pending sentencing, but not without consequences. As part of the plea agreement, he has agreed to forfeit $175,938 in structured funds and pay the Internal Revenue Service $113,195 in back taxes, plus penalties and interest, for the years 2009, 2010, and 2011.

The investigation was led by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division and Homeland Security Investigations, with critical support from the Hartford and Stamford Police Departments. Their joint probe unraveled a calculated effort to exploit banking loopholes, exposing a financial paper trail Ying thought was invisible. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter S. Jongbloed is prosecuting the case, emphasizing that structuring isn’t a technicality—it’s a crime with teeth.

This case underscores the federal government’s relentless scrutiny of financial evasion tactics, even when funds aren’t tied to drugs or violence. Da Ying’s actions may not involve guns or gangs, but in the world of financial crime, moving cash in the shadows is a red flag no agency ignores. The plea sends a message: structuring is not clever—it’s criminal.

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