Woman Pleads Guilty to $7 Billion Bitcoin Fraud Scheme in UK
Zhimin Qian, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in a UK court to acquiring and possessing criminal property valued at nearly $7 billion, stemming from a large-scale fraudulent investment scheme. Over a seven-year investigation, authorities uncovered that Qian had defrauded 128,000 individuals in China, converting illicit funds into Bitcoin. The UK government seized around 61,000 Bitcoins, now valued at approximately $7 billion, marking it as the world’s largest crypto seizure. Qian fled China in 2018 and later attempted to launder the money through property purchases. Her associate, Jian Wen, was also involved and sentenced to over six years in prison, ordered to pay more than $3 million for her role. Civil proceedings for the recovered funds are ongoing, with challenges expected for the affected Chinese investors in claiming legitimate ownership of the assets. This case represents one of the largest money laundering incidents in UK history and highlights the use of cryptocurrencies in criminal activities, according to law enforcement officials.
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