Saipan judge sentences woman to 71 months in Bitcoin fraud

A federal judge in Saipan sentenced Sze Man Yu Inos, a 30-year-old resident also known as Yuki, to 71 months in prison on April 23, 2026, for wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded elderly women of hundreds of thousands of dollars through false Bitcoin investment promises.

The fraud occurred from November 2020 to January 2022, primarily targeting older women in Saipan and Guam, territories of the Northern Mariana Islands. Prosecutors said Inos posed as a member of a wealthy Chinese family who had achieved success in cryptocurrency investments. She built trust through emotional manipulation, frequently telling victims, "You are like my mom," while treating them to expensive meals and gifts. Once confidence was established, she solicited funds for purported Bitcoin ventures based on fabricated stories of her business success and personal hardships.

The scheme later expanded to victims in Washington and California, resulting in total losses exceeding $769,000. In addition to the prison term, Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona of the U.S. District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands imposed three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, restitution of $769,355.67,...