Zhimin Qian, 47, cheated over 128,000 people in China, converting their money into Bitcoin between 2014 and 2017.
She orchestrated a large-scale scheme, collecting victims’ funds and storing them in cryptocurrency accounts.
Police confirmed she fled China using fake documents to hide her crimes.
Laundering Schemes in the UK
Qian entered the UK and tried to launder stolen cryptocurrency by buying property in late 2018.
Authorities seized 61,000 Bitcoins from her, marking one of the largest crypto confiscations worldwide.
She admitted illegally acquiring and holding the cryptocurrency during her guilty plea at Southwark Crown Court.
Legal Action and Warnings
The UK convicted Qian for her central role in Bitcoin fraud after a seven-year investigation.
Another Chinese woman, Jian Wen, received six years and eight months in prison for assisting Qian.
Authorities will sentence Qian later while ensuring criminal assets remain out of fraudsters’ reach.
Robin Weyell of the Crown Prosecution Service warned criminals increasingly use Bitcoin to hide and move stolen wealth.
