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{"actor":"system:backfill","investigation_id":"d8d51309-6a63-41a4-b695-e38fdbd9b8a0","kind":"publish","page_slug":"doj-225m-pig-butchering-forfeiture-june-2025","published_at":"2026-06-27T17:27:01.563Z","sequence_num":1,"snapshot":{"content_type":"investigation","entity_name":"DOJ $225M Pig Butchering Forfeiture (June 2025)","sections":[{"content":"The United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on June 18, 2025, captioned as case no. 25-cv-1907. The complaint named no individual defendants; instead it targeted the cryptocurrency assets themselves under civil forfeiture statutes, asserting they constituted proceeds of and instrumentalities used in cryptocurrency investment fraud and money laundering. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the DOJ Criminal Division jointly pursued the action, supported operationally by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office. A video exhibit was simultaneously published by the DOJ Office of Public Affairs. DOJ Criminal Division head Matthew R. Galeotti stated: 'These schemes harm American victims, costing them billions of dollars every year.' U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Shawn Bradstreet of the San Francisco Field Office also confirmed the agency's lead investigative role.","heading":"Overview of the Forfeiture Action","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs — United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ USAO-DC — Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Confidence Scams","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/largest-ever-seizure-funds-related-crypto-confidence-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog — The $225 Million Crypto Seizure: A Landmark in Pig Butchering Scam Combat","type":"research","url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"}]},{"content":"Pig butchering (Chinese: sha zhu pan) is a confidence-based cryptocurrency investment fraud in which perpetrators cultivate trust with victims over weeks or months — frequently via social media, dating apps, or messaging platforms — before directing them to fraudulent trading platforms that display fabricated profits. Victims are encouraged to deposit increasing sums; when they attempt to withdraw, operators demand fabricated tax or compliance fees, after which contact ceases and funds are transferred to criminal wallets. Workers at the scam compounds are frequently themselves victims of human trafficking, held against their will and forced to operate the fraud under threat of violence. The network targeted in the June 2025 forfeiture was traced to ITECHNO Specialist Inc., a Manila-based compound. The 144 OKX accounts identified in the investigation were accessed from IP addresses in the Philippines, depositing approximately $3 billion in cryptocurrency over approximately one year, reflecting the high-volume nature of the laundering operation.","heading":"Scheme Mechanics: Pig Butchering Fraud","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"NBC News — DOJ seizes record $225 million in crypto tied to global pig butchering scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/doj-seizes-record-225-million-crypto-tied-global-pig-butchering-scams-rcna213790"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Fortune — DOJ seizes $225 million stolen through crypto pig butchering","type":"news_article","url":"https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/06/18/doj-225-million-phillipines-scam-compound-usdt-pig-butchering/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — US DOJ Announces Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Scams","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/us-doj-announces-largest-ever-seizure-of-funds-related-to-crypto-scams"}]},{"content":"The civil forfeiture complaint identified $225,364,961 in USDT distributed across seven wallet groups, designated in the complaint as USDT Token Groups A through G. According to blockchain analysis published by TRM Labs, the approximate distribution was: Group A (~$135 million), Group B ($71 million), Group C ($102 million), Group D ($3 million), Group E ($77 million), Group F ($65 million), and Group G ($59 million), with totals across groups exceeding the final claimed amount due to overlapping or partially included wallets. The assets were held across the Ethereum, Bitcoin, and TRON blockchain networks. Investigators applied a Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) tracing methodology to reconstruct victim fund flows through 35 consolidation wallets before reaching the final token groups. One traced flow example followed $47.1 million through 16 intermediate addresses across 17 transactions.","heading":"Asset Structure: USDT Token Groups A through G","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — US DOJ Announces Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Scams","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/us-doj-announces-largest-ever-seizure-of-funds-related-to-crypto-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog — The $225 Million Crypto Seizure: A Landmark in Pig Butchering Scam Combat","type":"research","url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"}]},{"content":"The complaint described a sophisticated blockchain-based money laundering network that executed hundreds of thousands of transactions to obscure the origin of proceeds. Specific techniques documented included peel chains — incrementally transferring smaller amounts across successive hops — structured hops, and cross-chain swaps. Investigators also identified anomalous gas-fee payments ranging from $25,000 to $125,000, consistent with deliberate transaction-pattern disruption. The network used 93 scam-controlled deposit addresses to receive initial USDT transfers from victims, approximately 100 intermediary wallets to commingle and obscure fund sources, and 22 primary OKX accounts as well as 122 additional exchange accounts linked by shared IP addresses and reused KYC documents. Coordinated activity patterns at OKX included overlapping Philippines-based IP addresses, Vietnamese KYC documents, identical photograph backgrounds across account applications, similar email naming conventions, and same-device access patterns. Funds were ultimately consolidated into the seven token groups named in the complaint.","heading":"Money Laundering Infrastructure","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — US DOJ Announces Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Scams","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/us-doj-announces-largest-ever-seizure-of-funds-related-to-crypto-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Decrypt — Justice Dept. Files to Seize Record $225 Million Tied to Pig Butchering Crypto Scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/325882/justice-dept-seize-record-225-million-pig-butchering-crypto-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Fortune — DOJ seizes $225 million stolen through crypto pig butchering","type":"news_article","url":"https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/06/18/doj-225-million-phillipines-scam-compound-usdt-pig-butchering/"}]},{"content":"Tether, the issuer of the USDT stablecoin, played a central and proactive role in the investigation. In 2023, Tether working alongside OKX identified over 144 accounts on the exchange whose activity it assessed as consistent with confidence scam proceeds, and notified the U.S. Secret Service. Tether subsequently froze 39 wallet addresses containing the targeted USDT, then executed a novel on-chain mechanism: the frozen tokens were burned — permanently removed from circulation — and an equivalent amount of newly issued USDT was transferred to a Secret Service-controlled wallet, making the transfer transparent and auditable on the blockchain. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated the company works on 'compliance in digital assets.' OKX managing partner stated: 'We are proud to have aided the largest-ever U.S. crypto seizure.' The DOJ press release specifically acknowledged Tether's 'proactive assistance in this investigation.'","heading":"Role of Tether and OKX","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"NBC News — DOJ seizes record $225 million in crypto tied to global pig butchering scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/doj-seizes-record-225-million-crypto-tied-global-pig-butchering-scams-rcna213790"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Tether.io — Tether Acknowledged by DOJ for Support in $61 Million Seizure Linked to Pig Butchering Fraud","type":"official","url":"https://tether.io/news/tether-acknowledged-by-doj-for-support-in-61-million-seizure-linked-to-pig-butchering-fraud/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog — The $225 Million Crypto Seizure: A Landmark in Pig Butchering Scam Combat","type":"research","url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"}]},{"content":"The complaint identified over 434 suspected victims globally, of whom at least 60 were partially identified in the U.S. with combined losses of approximately $19.4 million traceable through the seized wallets. The total volume processed through the network was approximately $3 billion. The single largest individual victim identified in the network was Shan Hanes, the former CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank of Burg, Kansas. Between May 30 and July 7, 2023, Hanes embezzled $47.1 million from the bank through 11 outgoing wire transfers to cryptocurrency wallets, believing he was investing in a legitimate opportunity. Of that sum, $3.3 million was directly traced through wallets in the forfeiture action. The theft depleted the bank's liquidity — the institution held $13.7 million in capital against $139 million in assets — triggered $21 million in emergency borrowing, and created a $35 million capital hole, causing regulators to place the bank into FDIC receivership in July 2023. Heartland Tri-State was one of only five U.S. banks to fail in 2023. Hanes was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison in August 2024, the longest white-collar sentence in Kansas federal court history. The FBI subsequently recovered approximately $8 million of the $47.1 million for the bank's approximately 30 shareholders. Beyond the bank, Hanes is also reported to have stolen $40,000 from an Elkhart church, $10,000 from a local investment club, $60,000 from his daughter's college fund, and liquidated approximately $1 million in local bank stock — all transferred to scammers.","heading":"Victims: Scale and Notable Cases","severity":"critical","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinDesk — DOJ Ties Kansas Bank Collapse to $225 Million Pig Butchering Seizure","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/06/18/doj-ties-kansas-bank-collapse-to-225-million-pig-butchering-seizure"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CNBC — Cryptocurrency pig butchering scam wrecks Kansas bank, sends ex-CEO to prison for 24 years","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/21/cryptocurrency-shan-hanes-pig-butchering-scam.html"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Federal Reserve OIG — Former CEO of Failed Bank Sentenced to Prison","type":"regulatory","url":"https://oig.federalreserve.gov/releases/news-statement-heartland-ceo-sentence-aug2024.htm"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — FBI Recovers Money Swindled from Kansas Bank's Investors","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-recovers-8-million-swindled-from-failed-kansas-banks-small-town-investors"}]},{"content":"The DOJ stated its intent to return seized funds to identified victims. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov serves as the primary victim intake channel; complaints submitted through IC3 may be referred to law enforcement and used to identify and compensate victims of the scheme. However, the prospect of full restitution is uncertain: only 60 of 434-plus victims were partially identified in the complaint, and their combined traceable losses of $19.4 million represent a small fraction of the $225.3 million seized. Philip A. Selden, former acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, commented: 'This is a tone-setting case. We have victims on American streets, and the Department made clear they didn't want to wait for an arrest to actually ensure that the crypto was actually seized.' One report indicated that a portion of the seized cryptocurrency may be earmarked for the U.S. government's digital asset stockpile under an executive order issued by President Trump, which would reduce funds available for victim restitution; however, this disposition has not been confirmed by official sources and should be considered low-confidence.","heading":"Victim Restitution and Disposition of Seized Assets","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"Cole Schotz — DOJ's $225M Seizure Puts Human Cost of Crypto Scams in Focus, Former Acting U.S. Attorney Says","type":"research","url":"https://www.coleschotz.com/news-and-publications/dojs-225m-seizure-puts-human-cost-of-crypto-scams-in-focus-former-acting-u-s-attorney-says/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — FBI Washington Field Office Seeking Victim Information in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Scheme","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/washingtondc/news/fbi-washington-field-office-seeking-victim-information-in-cryptocurrency-investment-fraud-scheme"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog — The $225 Million Crypto Seizure: A Landmark in Pig Butchering Scam Combat","type":"research","url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"}]},{"content":"The June 2025 forfeiture action preceded the formal launch of the DOJ Scam Center Strike Force, announced November 12, 2025, under U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. The Strike Force is an interagency initiative combining the U.S. Attorney's Office for DC, the DOJ Criminal Division, the FBI, and the U.S. Secret Service, focused on dismantling transnational criminal networks behind pig-butchering and related cryptocurrency investment fraud. On April 23, 2026, the Strike Force announced charges against Chinese nationals Huang Xingshan (aka 'Ah Zhe') and Jiang Wen Jie (aka 'Jiang Nan') for managing the Shunda compound cryptocurrency fraud operation in Burma. Separately, in a coordinated international operation also announced in April 2026, at least 276 individuals were arrested — 275 by Dubai Police and one by the Royal Thai Police — and at least nine scam centers were dismantled, with five defendants charged federally in the Southern District of California. The Strike Force also restrained over $701.9 million in cryptocurrency and seized 503 fraudulent investment platform domains in that action. The FBI's Operation Level Up, which proactively identifies and warns active fraud victims before they fully realize losses, runs in parallel to these enforcement actions.","heading":"Broader Enforcement Context: Scam Center Strike Force","severity":"medium","sources":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — New Scam Center Strike Force Battles Southeast Asian Crypto Investment Fraud Targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-scam-center-strike-force-battles-southeast-asian-crypto-investment-fraud-targeting"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — Scam Center Strike Force Takes Major Actions Against Southeast Asian Scam Centers Targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — Coordinated Takedown of Scam Centers Leads to at Least 276 Arrests","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/coordinated-takedown-scam-centers-leads-least-276-arrests-alleged-managers-and-recruiters"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — Operation Level Up: How the FBI Is Saving Victims from Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/operation-level-up-how-the-fbi-is-saving-victims-from-cryptocurrency-investment-fraud"}]},{"content":"According to the FBI's 2024 Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) annual report, Americans reported $9.3 billion in total cryptocurrency-related losses, with investment fraud (including pig butchering) accounting for approximately $5.8 billion of that figure. Reported losses for 2025 rose approximately 24 percent. Individuals aged 60 and older reported more than $2.8 billion in crypto-scam losses in 2024, making seniors the most financially impacted demographic. The $225.3 million forfeiture represents approximately 3.9 percent of the reported annual pig-butchering-related losses, underscoring the scale of the underlying fraud ecosystem relative to individual enforcement actions. The U.S.-China Commission published a July 2025 report on China's exploitation of scam centers in Southeast Asia, situating these operations within a broader geopolitical context of state-tolerated or state-adjacent transnational crime.","heading":"Industry and Regulatory Context","severity":"high","sources":[{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — A Record-Breaking Year for Cybercrime: Key Findings from the FBI's 2024 IC3 Report","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/a-record-breaking-year-for-cybercrime-key-findings-from-the-fbis-2024-ic3-report"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/national-crimes-and-victim-resources/cryptocurrency-investment-fraud"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S.-China Commission — China's Exploitation of Scam Centers in Southeast Asia","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/Chinas_Exploitation_of_Scam_Centers_in_Southeast_Asia.pdf"}]}],"sources_used":[{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ OPA — United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaint Against $225M in Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud Money Laundering","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ USAO-DC — Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Confidence Scams","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/largest-ever-seizure-funds-related-crypto-confidence-scams"},{"credibility":1,"name":"NBC News — DOJ seizes record $225 million in crypto tied to global pig butchering scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/doj-seizes-record-225-million-crypto-tied-global-pig-butchering-scams-rcna213790"},{"credibility":1,"name":"CNBC — DOJ seizes record $225 million in crypto tied to global pig butchering scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/18/doj-crypto-scams.html"},{"credibility":2,"name":"CoinDesk — DOJ Ties Kansas Bank Collapse to $225 Million Pig Butchering Seizure","type":"news_article","url":"https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/06/18/doj-ties-kansas-bank-collapse-to-225-million-pig-butchering-seizure"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Decrypt — Justice Dept. Files to Seize Record $225 Million Tied to Pig Butchering Crypto Scams","type":"news_article","url":"https://decrypt.co/325882/justice-dept-seize-record-225-million-pig-butchering-crypto-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Fortune — DOJ seizes $225 million stolen through crypto pig butchering","type":"news_article","url":"https://fortune.com/crypto/2025/06/18/doj-225-million-phillipines-scam-compound-usdt-pig-butchering/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — US DOJ Announces Largest Ever Seizure of Funds Related to Crypto Scams","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/us-doj-announces-largest-ever-seizure-of-funds-related-to-crypto-scams"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — DOJ Seizes $61 Million Tied to Pig Butchering Scam in North Carolina","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/doj-seizes-usd-61-million-tied-to-pig-butchering-scam-in-north-carolina"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog — The $225 Million Crypto Seizure: A Landmark in Pig Butchering Scam Combat","type":"research","url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Cole Schotz — DOJ's $225M Seizure Puts Human Cost of Crypto Scams in Focus, Former Acting U.S. Attorney Says","type":"research","url":"https://www.coleschotz.com/news-and-publications/dojs-225m-seizure-puts-human-cost-of-crypto-scams-in-focus-former-acting-u-s-attorney-says/"},{"credibility":1,"name":"Federal Reserve OIG — Former CEO of Failed Bank Sentenced to Prison","type":"regulatory","url":"https://oig.federalreserve.gov/releases/news-statement-heartland-ceo-sentence-aug2024.htm"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — FBI Recovers Money Swindled from Kansas Bank's Investors","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-recovers-8-million-swindled-from-failed-kansas-banks-small-town-investors"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — Coordinated Takedown of Scam Centers Leads to at Least 276 Arrests","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/coordinated-takedown-scam-centers-leads-least-276-arrests-alleged-managers-and-recruiters"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — Scam Center Strike Force Takes Major Actions Against Southeast Asian Scam Centers Targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/scam-center-strike-force-takes-major-actions-against-southeast-asian-scam-centers-targeting"},{"credibility":1,"name":"DOJ — New Scam Center Strike Force Battles Southeast Asian Crypto Investment Fraud Targeting Americans","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-scam-center-strike-force-battles-southeast-asian-crypto-investment-fraud-targeting"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — Operation Level Up: How the FBI Is Saving Victims from Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/operation-level-up-how-the-fbi-is-saving-victims-from-cryptocurrency-investment-fraud"},{"credibility":1,"name":"FBI — Cryptocurrency Investment Fraud","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/national-crimes-and-victim-resources/cryptocurrency-investment-fraud"},{"credibility":2,"name":"TRM Labs — A Record-Breaking Year for Cybercrime: Key Findings from the FBI's 2024 IC3 Report","type":"research","url":"https://www.trmlabs.com/resources/blog/a-record-breaking-year-for-cybercrime-key-findings-from-the-fbis-2024-ic3-report"},{"credibility":1,"name":"U.S.-China Commission — China's Exploitation of Scam Centers in Southeast Asia","type":"regulatory","url":"https://www.uscc.gov/sites/default/files/2025-07/Chinas_Exploitation_of_Scam_Centers_in_Southeast_Asia.pdf"},{"credibility":2,"name":"Tether.io — Tether Acknowledged by DOJ for Support in $61 Million Seizure Linked to Pig Butchering Fraud","type":"official","url":"https://tether.io/news/tether-acknowledged-by-doj-for-support-in-61-million-seizure-linked-to-pig-butchering-fraud/"}],"summary":"On June 18, 2025, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia filed a civil forfeiture complaint — case no. 25-cv-1907 — seeking $225,364,961 in USDT held across seven cryptocurrency wallet groups, representing the largest seizure of funds tied to cryptocurrency confidence fraud in U.S. Secret Service history. The assets were traced through blockchain analysis to a transnational pig-butchering network linked to a Manila-based scam compound, ITECHNO Specialist Inc., with 144 exchange accounts on OKX and more than 430 identified victims worldwide. The action was coordinated by the FBI and U.S. Secret Service San Francisco Field Office, with Tether providing proactive investigative assistance including freezing and burning the targeted USDT tokens.","timeline":[{"date":"2023-05-30","event":"Shan Hanes, CEO of Heartland Tri-State Bank, begins transferring bank funds to pig-butchering scam wallets; $47.1 million wired through 11 transfers ending July 7, 2023.","source":"Federal Reserve OIG","source_url":"https://oig.federalreserve.gov/releases/news-statement-heartland-ceo-sentence-aug2024.htm"},{"date":"2023-07-01","event":"Heartland Tri-State Bank placed into FDIC receivership after liquidity collapse caused by Hanes's embezzlement; one of five U.S. bank failures in 2023.","source":"CNBC","source_url":"https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/21/cryptocurrency-shan-hanes-pig-butchering-scam.html"},{"date":"2023-01-01","event":"Tether, working alongside OKX, identifies over 144 exchange accounts showing activity consistent with pig-butchering scam proceeds and notifies the U.S. Secret Service (approximate date; reported as occurring in 2023).","source":"NBC News","source_url":"https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/doj-seizes-record-225-million-crypto-tied-global-pig-butchering-scams-rcna213790"},{"date":"2024-08-01","event":"Shan Hanes sentenced to 24 years in federal prison — the longest white-collar sentence in Kansas federal court history — for embezzling $47.1 million from Heartland Tri-State Bank.","source":"Federal Reserve OIG","source_url":"https://oig.federalreserve.gov/releases/news-statement-heartland-ceo-sentence-aug2024.htm"},{"date":"2024-11-01","event":"FBI recovers approximately $8 million for Heartland Tri-State Bank shareholders from scam-linked cryptocurrency wallets.","source":"FBI","source_url":"https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-recovers-8-million-swindled-from-failed-kansas-banks-small-town-investors"},{"date":"2025-06-18","event":"U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia files civil forfeiture complaint (25-cv-1907) seeking $225,364,961 in USDT across seven wallet groups; action is the largest cryptocurrency seizure in U.S. Secret Service history.","source":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-files-civil-forfeiture-complaint-against-225m-funds-involved-cryptocurrency"},{"date":"2025-06-18","event":"Tether burns frozen USDT tokens across 39 wallet addresses and transfers equivalent newly-issued USDT to a Secret Service-controlled wallet, completing the on-chain seizure mechanism.","source":"Baker McKenzie Blockchain Blog","source_url":"https://blockchain.bakermckenzie.com/2025/07/01/the-225-million-crypto-seizure-a-landmark-in-pig-butchering-scam-combat/"},{"date":"2025-11-12","event":"DOJ launches the Scam Center Strike Force under U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia, formalizing the interagency approach to pig-butchering and Southeast Asian scam compounds.","source":"DOJ USAO-DC","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/new-scam-center-strike-force-battles-southeast-asian-crypto-investment-fraud-targeting"},{"date":"2026-04-23","event":"Scam Center Strike Force announces charges against Chinese nationals Huang Xingshan and Jiang Wen Jie for managing the Shunda compound fraud operation in Burma; Dubai Police arrests 275 individuals in a coordinated international operation; nine scam centers dismantled; five defendants charged in San Diego.","source":"DOJ Office of Public Affairs","source_url":"https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/coordinated-takedown-scam-centers-leads-least-276-arrests-alleged-managers-and-recruiters"}]},"v":1}