On Thursday, February 12, 2026, the hunt for Daren Li has intensified following his sentencing earlier this week. Federal authorities are now working with international partners to locate the 42-year-old fugitive, who remains at large after fleeing custody in December.
The case has become a focal point for the Justice Department’s broader crackdown on “pig butchering” scams—a sophisticated fraud method that has stolen billions from Americans in the last year alone.
The Latest Verdict: Statutory Maximum
In a significant ruling from the Central District of California, a federal judge has solidified the legal consequences for high-level crypto laundering:
The Sentence: 20 years in federal prison (the statutory maximum) plus 3 years of supervised release.
The “In Absentia” Move: Because Li is a fugitive, the court moved forward with sentencing to ensure his legal status is locked as a convicted felon, making international extradition easier once he is located.
The Scale: Li admitted to a scheme that laundered $73.6 million, with nearly $60 million routed through U.S. shell companies to hide its origin.
The “SafeMoon” Connection (Feb 11 Update)
While the Li case moves into the “active hunt” phase, the U.S. court system delivered another blow to crypto fraud just yesterday. On Wednesday, February 11, the CEO of SafeMoon, Braden John Karony, was sentenced to over 8 years (100 months) for a multi-million dollar fraud scheme. The back-to-back sentencings of Li and Karony highlight a major federal offensive against digital asset crime this February.
