2 Men Sentenced for Laundering Drug Proceeds as Part of Global Organization

Udumbara Udumbara
Aug 19, 2025 - 10:00 Updated: Aug 19, 2025 - 09:52
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2 Men Sentenced for Laundering Drug Proceeds as Part of Global Organization
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A federal judge in Boston has sentenced two individuals involved in an international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts announced the sentencing in a statement on Aug. 15. Chen Yanbing, 30, a Chinese national unlawfully residing in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, was sentenced to 57 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Chen pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine.

Thong Nguyen, 31, of Everett, Massachusetts, was sentenced to four months in prison, to be followed by one year of home detention and two years of supervised release. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Nguyen pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy in August 2024.

Chen and Nguyen were among 12 defendants from California, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island charged in a superseding indictment for their alleged roles in the money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
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The organization’s leader, Jin Hua Zhang, pleaded guilty in September 2023. He admitted to being responsible for distributing cocaine and ecstasy and laundering at least $25 million in drug proceeds and funds from illegal businesses, according to prosecutors. Zhang, based in the New York City borough of Staten Island, is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 1, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.
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“Money is the lifeblood of any narcotics trafficking organization,” Joshua S. Levy, then-acting U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said in a statement at the time, after Zhang pleaded guilty. “Mr. Zhang targeted the critical flow of funds and the vicious circle that leads to deadly drugs being sold on our streets every day.”

Prosecutors also said Zhang’s organization charged a fee to launder illicit funds, which were subsequently traced from the organization to locations around the world, including China, Hong Kong, Cambodia, India, and Brazil.

According to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors in June, undercover agents investigating the case were able to infiltrate Zhang’s organization by posing as criminal money launderers with access to cryptocurrency.

Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Chen to 71 months in prison and Nguyen to 30 months in prison, according to the court document.

In July 2022, Chen, acting on behalf of Zhang, delivered $50,000 in drug proceeds to undercover agents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated. Zhang then converted the money to a cryptocurrency called Tether and laundered the funds back to criminal organizations.

Zhang also dispatched Chen to deliver 5 kilograms of cocaine from New York City to Boston, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Nguyen laundered or attempted to launder more than $213,000 in marijuana trafficking profits in 2022 by passing the money to Zhang’s organization, which converted it to Tether and returned it to the traffickers, the U.S. Attorney’s Office stated.

The Epoch Times contacted Chen’s and Nguyen’s lawyers for comment but received no response by publication time.

Of the 12 defendants charged, several others have entered guilty pleas or received sentences.

Li Rongjian, 38, of Brooklyn pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering in federal court in Boston in February. According to prosecutors, Li used his position at Bank of America to open multiple accounts that Zhang’s organization used to launder illicit funds.
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Chen Qinliang of Rosemead, California, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and two years of supervised release in November 2024, after pleading guilty to money laundering conspiracy. According to prosecutors, Chen had delivered more than $125,000 to a cooperating witness in Florida.
Agustin Villa of Rhode Island pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering in August 2024.
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