A woman who converted Bitcoin (BTC) in luxury homes and jewelry has reportedly been found guilty of involvement in a money laundering scheme.
BBC reports that Jian Wen, a Chinese national and resident of Hendon, north London, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Monday.
In 2017, the 42-year-old woman posed as an employee of a jewelry company and tried to buy expensive homes in London, but had trouble passing checks for money laundering. That’s why she decided to buy jewelry in Zurich and luxury properties in Dubai in 2019.
The Metropolitan Police Service (Met), which conducted a major investigation into the case, searched several addresses, assessed 48 electronic devices and examined thousands of digital files, including files translated from Mandarin.
Police later found and seized a Bitcoin treasure, initially worth around $2.52 billion, but now valued at around $4.28 billion.
The Met says the seizure is by far the largest of its kind in Britain and that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has already obtained a freezing order from the High Court that could lead to the forfeiture of the BTC pile.
Say Detective Chief Inspector Jason Prins,
“This verdict and this lengthy five-year investigation demonstrate that we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to catch criminals seeking to profit from the proceeds of illicit funds – no matter how complex the case.”
Jian’s sentencing is set for May 10.
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