Crypto News Today- Hotel Staff Member Convicted in $2.5 Billion Bitcoin Laundering Conspiracy

Worker in Hospitality Industry Sentenced for $2.5 Billion Bitcoin Laundering Plot

Crypto News– A hospitality worker found in possession of $2.5 billion in Bitcoin and convicted of money laundering charges by a specialized court in the United Kingdom in March has been sentenced to six years and eight months in jail as of May 24.

According to a report by the BBC, Jian Wen, a 42-year-old hospitality worker from Hendon, north London, was found guilty of money laundering for converting fiat currency into crypto assets, including multi-million-pound houses and jewelry. The seizure of $2.5 billion worth of Bitcoin was described as the largest of its kind in the U.K.

Authorities grew suspicious due to Wen’s significant change in lifestyle. In 2017, she reportedly moved into a six-bedroom mansion in North London, costing about $21,420 a month, after previously residing in an apartment above a Chinese restaurant.

During the investigation, police analyzed 48 electronic devices and thousands of digital files, many of which were translated from Mandarin.

The $2.5 billion Bitcoin case bears striking similarities to the 2016 Bitfinex hack, during which over $2 billion worth of Bitcoin was stolen.

In both instances, the hackers attempted to move the stolen funds years after the initial exploit, only to be apprehended by U.S. authorities. Notably, the perpetrators were caught in both cases as they tried to cash out their Bitcoin. Their lavish lifestyles ultimately played a significant role in their capture.

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