Judge Slams Crypto Scammer Daren Li with Maximum 20-Year Sentence

A federal judge in California has sentenced Daren Li to 20 years in prison for his role in a $73 million cryptocurrency investment fraud. The sentence was imposed in absentia, as Li became a fugitive in December 2025 after cutting off his ankle monitor and disappearing.

The case is one of the largest 'pig butchering' prosecutions to reach sentencing in the U.S., built around Cambodia-based scam compounds that targeted American victims through spoofed trading platforms. According to Li's plea agreement, co-conspirators contacted victims through social media, phone calls, and dating services.

The group built trust through fake romantic or professional relationships, often over encrypted messaging apps, before steering victims to spoofed cryptocurrency platforms designed to look legitimate. In other cases, co-conspirators posed as tech support agents and convinced victims to send money to fix nonexistent computer problems.