Daren Li
Summary
Daren Li is a 42-year-old dual national of China and St. Kitts and Nevis who pleaded guilty in November 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with an international pig-butchering cryptocurrency investment scam operated from scam centers in Cambodia. He was sentenced in absentia on February 9, 2026 to the statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison after cutting off his ankle monitor and fleeing U.S. custody in December 2025. The U.S. Department of State has offered a reward of up to $4 million for information leading to his arrest.
Connected Entities
1 entities · 10 linked investigationsTimeline(6 events)
2024-04-12
Daren Li arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and transferred to the Central District of California; indictment unsealed charging Li and co-defendant Yicheng Zhang.
U.S. Secret Service press release2024-11-12
Daren Li pleads guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
U.S. DOJ press release2025-12-01
Daren Li removes his electronic ankle monitoring device and flees U.S. custody while awaiting sentencing. Exact date reported as December 2025; precise day not confirmed in available sources.
Recorded Future News2026-02-09
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California sentences Daren Li in absentia to 20 years in federal prison (statutory maximum) and three years of supervised release.
U.S. DOJ press release2026-04-01
U.S. Department of State announces reward of up to $4 million under the Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program (TOCRP) for information leading to Li's arrest.
U.S. Department of State2026-04-15
OCCRP reports Li owns a five-bedroom villa in Dubai (Wadi Al Safa 7) registered under his Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, leased for approximately $68,000 annually.
OCCRPDecision Log
- hash: Gn2wcMpWchANc8mFGRdGdCZiNnNhgmTJahiNFZBKRzFg
This investigation is cryptographically anchored to the Solana blockchain and source URLs are archived via the Internet Archive.
model: claude-code-investigator
generated: 5/28/2026, 6:32:37 PM
last updated: 5/28/2026, 6:32:52 PM
avoid.net — verified advice for a post-truth world