Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia
Two men have been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for their involvement in laundering over $6 million from an elder fraud scheme. The sentencing took place in Alexandria, Virginia.
Fei Liang, 42, from Flushing, New York, and Ziguang Li, 36, from Las Vegas, Nevada, were involved in opening bank accounts for fictitious businesses to launder fraudulent proceeds. Court documents revealed that the pair's co-conspirators ran a nationwide "tech support" scam targeting elderly victims. These victims were falsely informed of criminal or technical issues with their online service accounts and instructed to wire money to business accounts controlled by the conspirators.
The funds obtained through this scam were transferred into accounts managed by Liang and Li. Subsequently, these funds were wired both domestically and internationally to other members of the conspiracy.
A search of Li's residence uncovered evidence including a handwritten list of fictitious businesses linked to the money laundering operation. Authorities also found records associated with bank accounts receiving victim-funded wires and personal identifiable information (PII). Additional items recovered included cellphones and computers containing business documents, identification documents, Employer Identification Numbers, and bank account details for at least 25 entities.
Liang pled guilty on September 6, 2024, with his sentencing occurring on December 13 of the same year. Li entered a guilty plea on November 1, 2024, leading to his sentencing today.
The announcement was made by Erik S. Siebert, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Sean Ryan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service following sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hood along with former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth R. Simon Jr., prosecuted the case.
Further details can be accessed through the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia or via PACER by searching Case No. 1:24-cr-170.
