TWISTED Pig-Butchering Scam Destroys American Families

Scam text overlaid on distorted 100 dollar bill

A Chinese national received nearly four years in federal prison for orchestrating a $36.9 million cryptocurrency laundering scheme that systematically stripped 174 hardworking Americans of their savings through elaborate “pig-butchering” scams run from Cambodian crime centers.

Story Snapshot

Jingliang Su sentenced to 46 months and ordered to pay $26 million restitution for laundering funds stolen from 174 U.S. victims
International fraud ring used fake crypto platforms and romance scams to lure Americans, converting stolen funds through Bahamas bank to untraceable Tether cryptocurrency
Part of broader DOJ crackdown that has convicted 180+ cybercriminals since 2020, recovering over $350 million in stolen assets
Nine co-conspirators have pleaded guilty in the Cambodia-based operation that weaponized social media and dating apps to target vulnerable Americans

Chinese National Gets Prison Time for Massive Fraud Operation

Jingliang Su, a 45-year-old Chinese national, received a 46-month federal prison sentence on January 28, 2026, from U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner for conspiring to operate an illegal money transmitting business. Su served as director at Axis Digital Limited, where he laundered over $36.9 million stolen from American investors through an elaborate “pig-butchering” cryptocurrency scam. The court ordered Su to pay $26 million in restitution to victims who lost their hard-earned savings. Su had been in federal custody since December 2024 and entered a guilty plea in June 2025.

Chinese National Sentenced to Nearly Four Years for Laundering $36.9M in Crypto Scam https://t.co/nMT4WqoX04

— ArmyMom224⛪️✝️🇺🇸🪖 (@ArmyMom224) January 28, 2026

The sentencing represents the latest victory in a Department of Justice campaign targeting international cybercrime networks that exploit cryptocurrency’s anonymity to prey on Americans. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli warned that new investment opportunities have “a dark side: attracting criminals who stole then laundered tens of millions” from unsuspecting victims. Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva emphasized that scammers “weaponize the internet” and pledged that DOJ operations would continue evolving to counter these sophisticated digital threats.

Sophisticated Scheme Exploited Americans Through Fake Romance and Investment Promises

The criminal network operated from Cambodia-based scam centers, where operatives contacted U.S. victims through unsolicited messages on social media platforms, phone calls, text messages, and dating applications. Scammers built trust with victims over time before directing them to fake websites designed to mimic legitimate cryptocurrency exchanges. Once victims transferred funds believing they were making legitimate investments, the money moved through a complex laundering pipeline involving U.S. shell company accounts controlled by Su and his co-conspirators at Axis Digital Limited.

Funds flowed from victim accounts to Deltec Bank in the Bahamas, where Su converted them into Tether, a stablecoin cryptocurrency known as USDT. The digital assets were then transferred to cryptocurrency wallets in Cambodia, where co-conspirators distributed USDT to regional scam operation centers. This multi-jurisdictional structure was designed to evade detection and make recovery nearly impossible for victims. The scheme targeted vulnerable Americans seeking investment opportunities, exploiting the growing adoption of cryptocurrency and the trust people place in online relationships.

Part of Larger Network with Multiple Convictions

Su’s sentencing follows guilty pleas from eight co-conspirators involved in the same international fraud network. Shengsheng He, a 39-year-old California resident and co-owner of Axis Digital, received 51 months in prison and was ordered to pay $26.8 million in restitution. Jose Somarriba, another Axis Digital co-owner, was sentenced to 36 months. The prosecutions demonstrate how the Trump administration’s Justice Department is aggressively pursuing international criminal networks that target American citizens. Prosecutors Nisha Chandran, Alexander Gorin, Stefanie Schwartz, and Tamara Livshiz led the complex investigation.

The DOJ’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section has convicted more than 180 cybercriminals since 2020, recovering over $350 million in stolen funds for victims. These “pig-butchering” scams originated in China between 2014 and 2016, evolving from traditional romance frauds. The schemes exploded after 2020 as criminals incorporated cryptocurrency, with operations shifting to Southeast Asian countries like Cambodia following Chinese government crackdowns. Criminal organizations now operate from “scam compounds” that often involve forced labor, creating a human trafficking dimension alongside the financial crimes. Americans who believe they may be victims are urged to report incidents to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.