A 42-year-old British-Chinese woman was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison after she admitted converting Bitcoin into various assets, including real estate and jewellery.
Jian Wen was facing a possible prison sentence of up to 14 years on various charges, but was convicted of money laundering charges last March.
In 2018, D.C. police and money laundering investigators discovered a safe deposit box containing 61,000 bitcoins during a search of her home.
Wen's colleague, Yadi Zhang, disappeared after the search.
Investigations revealed that she was the mastermind behind a massive money laundering scheme, which included defrauding 130,000 Chinese investors before fleeing to the UK.
Wen, who previously worked as a takeaway preparer, was hired by Zhang to be the face of her business, with the latter claiming to be running a jewelry business.
Investigations revealed that Zhang, whose real name is Qimin Qian, had an insane ambition to become queen of a small European country, and was prepared to spend no less than $5 million on her crown, according to what was stated in her personal diary.
Wen, who previously worked as a takeaway preparer, insisted she was not aware of the massive fraudulent scheme.
She stated that Chang told her that she was independently wealthy and that she was only seeking to secure a better future for her son, who had begun his studies in a private school.
It should be noted that Zhang was able to escape with approximately $250 million, and is still at large.
Interpol has issued a red notice for her arrest
