Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi challenges U.S. seizure of 127,271 Bitcoin in court, disputing fraud allegations tied to global scam network.
A legal dispute has started over 127,271 Bitcoin seized by the United States government. Cambodian businessman Chen Zhi is challenging the confiscation through lawyers in New York. Meanwhile, the case is based on allegations linking the cryptocurrency to a global network of scams.
U.S. Prosecutors Accuse Chen Zhi of Operating Global Fraud Network
The dispute comes after an investigation conducted by the United States Department of Justice. Prosecutors have accused Chen of overseeing transnational schemes of fraud and gambling throughout Southeast Asia. Furthermore, authorities say the operations financed big scams online that are aimed at international victims.
A mysterious Cambodia-based tycoon built an alleged global scam empire and a web of political connections to become seemingly untouchable. That was, until late 2025, when everything changed https://t.co/L1k3JWvLkZ
— Bloomberg (@business) March 10, 2026
In October 2025, US prosecutors unsealed a criminal indictment against Chen. The charges were wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Officials alleged he was in charge of at least 10 scam compounds in Cambodia.
Related Reading: Address Poisoning Scam: TON Whale Loses $220K, Scammer Returns Most | Live Bitcoin News
Authorities said that these compounds carried out so-called “pig butchering” schemes. These scams involve establishing trust with the victims prior to coercing them into investing in phony cryptocurrency platforms. As a result, the investigators declared the operations were generating as much as $30 million per day.
The legal dispute is also centered around the huge Bitcoin seizure associated with the case. Authorities froze about 127,271 BTC linked to digital wallets thought to be linked to the network. According to prosecutors, the money is the proceeds of criminal activities.
The seizure ranked as the largest civil forfeiture action in Justice Department history, officials said. Investigators said the cryptocurrency was lying idle in 25 un-hosted wallets since December 2020. Later, U.S. authorities took over the digital assets.
Meanwhile, Chen was extradited from Cambodia to China on 7 January 2026. Chinese authorities arrested through the Ministry of Public Security. They called him a leader of a cross-border gambling and fraud syndicate.
Defense Lawyers Argue Bitcoin Came From Crypto Mining Operations
Chen’s legal team recently made a filing in a New York federal court. The filing raises questions about the government’s confiscation of the cryptocurrency. Furthermore, the lawyers stated the allegations set out against their client to be “plainly wrong.”
The defense said that the Bitcoin was mined through legitimate cryptocurrency mining activities. According to the filing, Chen was engaged in industrial-scale mining operations to produce large reserves of digital assets. Therefore, the lawyers insist the funds were not related to fraud schemes.
The legal team was also questioning the evidence of the seized Bitcoin being related to scams. They contended that investigators did not demonstrate a direct forensic connection. As a result, lawyers argued that the government has no proof of the link between particular coins and illegal transactions.
Another argument is Chen’s legal status to try to challenge the seizure. Prosecutors previously limited his challenge by using the Fugitive Disentitlement Doctrine. However, according to his lawyers, extradition to China changes this situation.
Since Chen is now in custody, the defense argues that he is no longer running from the authorities. As a result, they argue that he has a right to fight the forfeiture case. Such an argument could enable the court to examine evidence concerning the origin of Bitcoin.
The case has also drawn attention because of Chen’s way of life and influence. Reports were made of extravagant parties held on his superyacht by wealthy businessmen and politicians. Such connections purportedly helped him to develop powerful networks throughout the region.
However, it is now up to the legal process to determine if those allegations have evidence behind them. U.S. prosecutors have to demonstrate a direct link between the cryptocurrency and criminal operations. Meanwhile, the defense will try to demonstrate that the assets were derived from legal mining businesses.
