Li Gets Maximum Sentence for $73M Crypto Investment Scam
A California federal judge has sentenced Daren Li, a 42-year-old dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, to the maximum 20 years in prison for his role in a $73 million cryptocurrency investment fraud.
The sentence was imposed in absentia after Li cut off his ankle monitor and disappeared in December 2025, becoming a fugitive.
Li pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering tied to cryptocurrency fraud, admitting that at least $73.6 million in victim funds flowed into accounts he and his associates controlled.
The case is among 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.