UPDATE: John Chiyuan Lee, Scammer Whose Case Shattered Ponzi-Board Myth, Sentenced To California State Prison And Ordered To Make Restitution

John Chiyuan Lee

In fleeing to Thailand, becoming a fugitive listed by INTERPOL and leaving dozens of U.S. victims in his wake when his Ponzi scheme collapsed, John Chiyuan Lee shattered the Ponzi-forum myth that “offshore equals safe.”

“Safe — for a while while INTERPOL is beaming your picture 24/7 and U.S. authorities at the local, state and national level are on your trail” — might be more accurate

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Det. Simeon Plyler tracked Lee to Thailand, and U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Marshals Service worked with the sheriff’s office and Thailand’s government to locate and arrest the fugitive.

He was found last year in Pataya, Thailand. U.S. Marshals brought him back to the United States to face justice.

Lee, 40 at the time of his arrest, now has accepted responsibility for his crimes and accepted an early plea deal in Los Angeles Superior Court that includes a six-year sentence in California state prison and a restitution order of about $1.5 million, the Sheriff’s Department announced yesterday.

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2 Responses to “UPDATE: John Chiyuan Lee, Scammer Whose Case Shattered Ponzi-Board Myth, Sentenced To California State Prison And Ordered To Make Restitution”

  1. I am one of the victims. I didn’t report to any government authorities regarding my loss. What’s the possibilbity of recoveing my loss? Thanks.

  2. My friend and I re also victims
    In fact this criminl was continuing to perpetrate crime in Thailand nd we fell vicitm to yet another scam.
    We lost almost a quarter of a million USD and these funds may ctully prt of what he uses to mke restitution!
    What justice can we seek. I submitted everything to Hong Kong Police but they have been ineffective.
    Thx