A Vancouver, British Columbia man, LOUIS ONG, 37, has been sentenced to 20 days of incarceration and more than $1 million in forfeitures for Operating an Unlicensed Money Transmission Business, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.
ONG was arrested in July 2017, after a series of bitcoin for cash sales with an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations.
According to records filed in the case, in December 2016, federal law enforcement responded to an ad ONG had placed regarding buying and selling bitcoin – a cryptocurrency that can be used for purchases on the dark web and elsewhere.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik imposed three years of supervised release and noted that ONG will likely be unable to return to the U.S. from Canada.
‘The dark web is not a free pass for crime and mayhem,’ said U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.
ONG was indicted on August 16, 2017 and pleaded guilty on February 15, 2018. He was released on bond to reside with his sister in Los Angeles, California after being held for 20 days at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac.
While on home restrictions in Los Angeles, ONG volunteered with a variety of homeless organizations and today tearfully told the court he now realizes ‘how his actions (as an illegal money transmitter) facilitated more people being exposed to addictive substances.’
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Cybercrime|Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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