Saipan Woman Gets 71 Months for $769K Bitcoin Wire Fraud Scheme

Key Takeaways:

• Inos received situation clip aft prosecutors described mendacious bitcoin concern claims.
• Saipan victims faced wider fiscal harm arsenic the strategy expanded geographically.
• Federal prosecutors framed the lawsuit arsenic a informing astir affinity fraud.

Bitcoin Fraud Sentence Shows Elder Victim Losses

A fraud strategy built connected mendacious bitcoin concern claims and idiosyncratic spot ended April 23, 2026, with a 71-month national situation condemnation for Sze Man Yu Inos, besides known arsenic Yuki. Prosecutors said Inos targeted older women, gained their confidence, and utilized mendacious claims astir wealth, concern success, and investing to get money.

Inos, 30, was sentenced by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona successful the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. territory, aft a ligament fraud conviction. The tribunal besides ordered 3 years of supervised release, 100 hours of assemblage service, $769,355.67 successful restitution, and a mandatory $200 peculiar assessment. A abstracted transgression forfeiture wealth judgement was entered for $684,848.34. Prosecutors said Inos approached older women successful Saipan and Guam from November 2020 done January 2022. She claimed she came from a affluent household successful China, owned aggregate businesses, and had made wealth done bitcoin investing.

U.S. Attorney Shawn N. Anderson warned:

“Criminals engaged successful affinity fraud prey connected our willingness to spot others.”

Prosecutors said she utilized costly meals, gifts, and idiosyncratic stories to physique spot earlier asking for money. The strategy aboriginal reached further victims successful Washington and California.

Federal Prosecutors Detail Trust-Based Investment Scheme

The lawsuit centered connected relationships that prosecutors said were utilized to make fiscal access. Inos befriended older women, described idiosyncratic problems that were not real, and made victims consciousness emotionally important to her. She often told them, “You are similar my mom.” After gaining confidence, prosecutors said she requested wealth and solicited bitcoin investments based connected mendacious pretenses. The behaviour did not halt aft she near the Marianas, according to prosecutors. The FBI besides said Inos forged a national judge’s signature to facilitate her schemes. FBI Honolulu Special Agent successful Charge David Porter said her actions showed contempt for some the victims and the regularisation of law.

The condemnation leaves Inos facing situation time, supervision, assemblage service, and large fiscal penalties connected to the losses. Anderson said she targeted older women crossed aggregate jurisdictions and continued her scams portion the lawsuit was pending. Porter said the behaviour caused fiscal harm crossed respective states and affected dozens of guiltless victims. The lawsuit was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Garth R. Backe for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prosecutors framed the lawsuit arsenic a informing astir however idiosyncratic spot tin beryllium utilized to enactment mendacious concern claims.