10/27/2026

Chinese National Extradited for Alleged Role in Multimillion-Dollar Cryptocurrency Scam Targeting U.S. Citizens

Office of Public Affairs U.S. Department of Justice

Zheng Zhao, 44, a Chinese national, was arraigned today in the Central District of California after being extradited from the Netherlands for his alleged role in an international cryptocurrency investment conspiracy carried out from scam centers in the Kingdom of Cambodia that targeted U.S. citizens. Ultimately, the government was able to identify 174 U.S. victims.

“This extradition should be a lesson to all those who seek to exploit vulnerable Americans from overseas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We will pursue charged defendants anywhere in the world, especially those who are alleged to have stolen money, converted it to cryptocurrency, and used foreign financial institutions in the process to try to hide and obfuscate their crimes. Wherever you are, we have the reach to find you.”

“As crime has globalized, so has law enforcement’s ability to locate and catch criminals,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “When innocent Americans are harmed by cybercriminals and their enablers, we and our partners around the globe will relentlessly ensure they face justice in a U.S. courtroom.”