A U.S. federal court has sentenced Daren Li, the fugitive mastermind behind a $73 million cryptocurrency investment scam, to the statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and three years’ supervised release. Li, a 42-year-old dual citizen of China and St. Kitts and Nevis, fled U.S. supervision in December 2025 by cutting off his ankle monitor and remains at large. Prosecutors say he led an international “pig butchering” fraud that used social media, fake platforms and shell companies to deceive investors and launder funds, and authorities are working with partners worldwide to locate and extradite him.