WASHINGTON D.C. – Jingliang Su, a Chinese national, was handed a 46-month federal prison sentence today for his central role in a sprawling $36.9 million cryptocurrency scam that preyed on American citizens. The sentence, delivered in federal court, also includes an order for Su to pay $26,867,242.44 in restitution to the 174 victims defrauded by the operation. Su pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal money transmitting business.
The scheme, originating from scam centers in Cambodia, relied on manipulative tactics targeting vulnerable Americans. Co-conspirators initiated contact via social media, phone calls, texts, and even online dating platforms, building trust before pitching bogus digital asset investments. Fake websites, meticulously designed to mimic legitimate cryptocurrency exchanges, lured victims into transferring funds under false pretenses. The promise of escalating returns was a lie – the money was immediately stolen.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division minced no words: “This defendant and his co-conspirators scammed 174 Americans out of their hard-earned money.” He highlighted the evolving nature of fraud in the digital age, emphasizing the Criminal Division’s commitment to tackling large-scale scammers who exploit technology to steal and launder funds. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California echoed this sentiment, urging investors to exercise extreme caution.
Court documents reveal a complex web of financial transactions designed to obscure the origin of the stolen funds. Victims’ money flowed from U.S. bank accounts into a single account at Deltec Bank in the Bahamas. There, Su and his associates directed the conversion of funds into Tether (USDT), a stablecoin, before funneling it to a digital asset wallet controlled in Cambodia. This wallet served as a hub, distributing the illicit gains to leaders of the scam centers throughout the region. The U.S. Secret Service’s Global Investigative Operations Center spearheaded the investigation, with crucial support from Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the State Department, Dominican National Police, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Su isn’t the only one facing consequences. Eight co-conspirators have already pleaded guilty. Jose Somarriba received a 36-month prison sentence, while ShengSheng He was sentenced to 51 months, both for conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The investigation remains ongoing, suggesting further arrests and prosecutions are likely. This case serves as a stark warning: the allure of quick profits in the cryptocurrency market can mask a dangerous criminal enterprise.
The government’s ability to trace the flow of funds – from American bank accounts to the Bahamas and ultimately to Cambodia – underscores the increasing sophistication of law enforcement’s ability to combat transnational financial crime. While recovering the full $36.9 million may prove difficult, the prosecution of Jingliang Su and his co-conspirators sends a clear message: those who facilitate these scams will be held accountable, no matter where they operate. Trial Attorneys Stefanie Schwartz and Tamara Livshiz, along with Assistant U.S. Attorney [Name Redacted], prosecuted the case.
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Key Facts
- Agency: U.S. Secret Service
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Press Release
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