Jian Wen, a British-Chinese woman, has been sentenced to over six years in prison for her role in laundering Bitcoin tied to a massive fraud scheme in China.
The case, heard at Southwark Crown Court, is one of the most significant involving cryptocurrency seizures by law enforcement.
In March, Wen, 42, was found guilty of laundering funds on behalf of her former employer, Yadi Zhang.
The Metropolitan Police uncovered 61,000 bitcoins, valued at more than £3bn, during a 2018 raid on the Hampstead mansion shared by Wen and Zhang.
This discovery is among the largest cryptocurrency confiscations globally.
Wen was investigated after attempting to purchase a London mansion with Bitcoin. Her boss, Zhang, is accused of orchestrating a £5bn fraud in China. Wen maintained her innocence throughout, denying knowledge of the illicit origins of the funds.
Prosecutors revealed that between 2017 and 2022, Wen converted Bitcoin into cash, luxury goods, and property.
Despite her claims of ignorance and her lawyer’s portrayal of her as a “fragile and desperate woman” manipulated by Zhang, the court concluded that Wen was fully aware of the criminal nature of her actions.
Judge Sally-Ann Hales dismissed the defence’s argument, stating, “You knew, rather than merely suspected, that you were dealing in the proceeds of crime.”
Wen’s conviction followed two trials and acquittals on other charges. She has been in custody since March 2022 and has not seen her 16-year-old son for over two years.
