LONDON (Reuters) -A Chinese woman accused of laundering bitcoin which was linked to an alleged 5 billion-pound ($6.7 billion) fraud pleaded guilty in a London court on Monday. Qian Zhimin, who was
Chinese Woman Pleads Guilty to Bitcoin Money Laundering in London
Trial Overview and Charges
LONDON (Reuters) -A Chinese woman accused of laundering bitcoin which was linked to an alleged 5 billion-pound ($6.7 billion) fraud pleaded guilty in a London court on Monday.
Details of the Guilty Plea
Qian Zhimin, who was also known as Zhang Yadi, appeared at Southwark Crown Court for the first day of her trial but decided to change her pleas.
Background of the Case
The 47-year-old admitted one count of possessing criminal property and one count of transferring criminal property.
Next Steps in the Legal Process
Judge Sally-Ann Hales remanded Qian in custody ahead of sentencing, which will take place at a later date.
Qian was arrested after an investigation in which British police seized wallets holding more than 61,000 bitcoin, currently worth 5.1 billion pounds – making it one of the largest cryptocurrency seizures by law enforcement worldwide.
Her lawyers said in a statement issued after her arrest last year that Qian denied "the allegations of fraud levelled against her in China".
(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by William James)
