Daren Li was sentenced to the statutory maximum of 20 years after admitting his role in a crypto investment conspiracy that stole about $73.6 million. The Department of Justice said co‑conspirators used social media, dating apps and fake trading platforms from Cambodia‑based scam centers and laundered funds through U.S. shell companies.

A federal court imposed a 20‑year prison sentence on Daren Li following his admission of participating in an international crypto investment conspiracy that netted roughly $73.6 million from victims. Prosecutors detailed an operation that used romance‑style social‑engineering, fake trading platforms and persistent messaging via social media and dating apps to build trust and coax victims into transferring digital assets. The Department of Justice emphasized that Li was part of a broader network with operators and facilitators located in Southeast Asian scam centers, including facilities in Cambodia, and that proceeds were funneled through U.S. shell companies and other laundering mechanisms to obscure origins. Sentencing at the statutory maximum reflects prosecutors’ intent to deter sophisticated abuse of crypto rails and to signal that cross‑border criminal schemes exploiting emerging technologies will face heavy penalties. The case was used by law enforcement to demonstrate investigatory techniques for attributing blockchain transfers to actors operating out of opaque jurisdictions and for coordinating seizure and forfeiture actions to disrupt remaining infrastructure supporting such scams.