Daren Li Sentenced in Absentia for $73M Pig-Butchering Crypto Laundering Scheme

A U.S. federal court sentenced Daren Li (42), a dual citizen of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, to 20 years in prison in absentia for conspiring to launder proceeds from an international “pig butchering” cryptocurrency investment/romance-baiting fraud that stole more than $73 million from victims. Li pleaded guilty in November 2024 and admitted that at least $73.6 million in victim funds was deposited into accounts controlled by his group, with a significant portion routed through U.S.-based shell companies; the operation was tied to scam centers in Cambodia and relied on a network of money launderers to move funds through U.S. bank accounts and onward to domestic/international accounts and crypto platforms to obscure origins.

Li was arrested in April 2024 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but fled before sentencing in December 2025 after cutting off his ankle monitor; U.S. authorities have not publicly confirmed his current whereabouts and indicated they will work with international partners to return him to serve the sentence. The court also imposed three years of supervised release following imprisonment, and reporting noted that multiple co-conspirators have pleaded guilty, with Li described as the first sentenced defendant directly involved in receiving victim funds.