The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced that 45-year-old New York resident Yvette Wang has pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
Damian Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, stated, "Yvette Wang played a leadership role in an extensive and intricate fraud scheme. Through false promises and lies, this scheme defrauded innocent victims, both domestically and internationally, of over one billion dollars. Wang brought pain and loss to many, and she will now be held accountable for the damage she and her accomplices caused."
According to a public statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wang faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for the combined charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and conspiracy to launder money. As part of her plea agreement, Wang has agreed to pay $1.4 billion in restitution and an additional $1.4 billion has been seized by the U.S. government.
The Associated Press reported that without the plea deal, Wang could have faced life imprisonment if convicted.
Investigations revealed that Yvette Wang was the chief assistant to Chinese businessman Miles Guo, who was previously found guilty of fraud by a U.S. federal court and is facing decades in prison.
Speculations by several media outlets suggest that Wang, as an assistant, was able to agree to the extraordinary restitution payment of $2.8 billion not solely due to her role in the conspiracy. It is speculated that she may have had an improper personal relationship with the wealthy businessman Miles Guo, and much of the $2.8 billion represents joint assets between the two.
