St Kitts “Deactivates” Passport of Chinese National Facing 20 Years for Money Laundering

A Chinese national who obtained Saint Kitts & Nevis citizenship has pleaded guilty to money laundering charges in Los Angeles.

Daren Li, also known as Devon, admitted this week to orchestrating a cryptocurrency “pig butchering” scam that defrauded victims of millions.

The 41-year-old, who secured his Saint Kitts & Nevis passport in 2020 through the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.

Saint Kitts & Nevis authorities have deactivated Li’s passport following the guilty plea. The case involves another Chinese national, Yicheng Zhang, who allegedly participated in the same criminal enterprise.

Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew acknowledged earlier challenges with the CBI program and initiated comprehensive reforms, including mandatory interviews for applicants and dependents over 16.

The government recently established the Continuing International Due Diligence Unit (CIDD) to monitor investment-based citizens.

Prime Minister Drew previously stated that Saint Kitts & Nevis “must ensure that citizens holding passports issued by Saint Kitts & Nevis and residing internationally abide by the laws of the countries in which they reside and respect international laws.”

He further emphasized his administration was “prepared to take the necessary statutory steps under the Citizenship Act to protect our Federation’s good name and revoke citizenships obtained by fraud.”

It is important to note that, until now, there is no confirmation whether Saint Kitt and Nevis has revoked Li’s citizenship, only that it has deactivated his passport.

US authorities noted that Li’s Saint Kitts & Nevis passport facilitated his international travel while conducting fraud against American citizens.