Overview
- A federal judge ordered $26,867,242.44 in restitution to victims of the scheme.
- Prosecutors identified 174 U.S. victims who were lured via unsolicited social media outreach, texts, calls, and online dating into fake crypto investment platforms.
- Investigators traced funds from U.S. accounts to a single Deltec Bank account in the Bahamas, then into USDT and on to wallets controlled in Cambodia.
- Eight co-conspirators have pleaded guilty, including ShengSheng He and Jose Somarriba, who received sentences of 51 months and 36 months.
- U.S. Secret Service and Homeland Security Investigations led the probe, as authorities emphasize ongoing efforts to disrupt transnational scam centers and note 2025 crypto scam losses exceeded $17 billion, according to Chainalysis.