Bowen V. Li
Bowen V. Li
Bowen V. Li
MIAMI DIVISION
Plaintiff,
CASE NO.
v.
Defendant.
Defendant XINGZHAO LI a/k/a AIDA TOP a/k/a YANG LEI LEI, and states as follows:
PRELIMINARY STATEMENT
2. Defendant played a material role in the theft of Plaintiff’s assets, and upon
information and belief, currently possesses all or a significant portion of Plaintiff’s stolen
property.
(the “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act” or “RICO”). This Court has
subject matter jurisdiction over this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1331 (federal question).
5. Venue is proper in this District pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1965(a) and (b), and 28
in China, and is subject to the personal jurisdiction of this Court. Defendant represented to
Plaintiff that she was Chinese, and the parties’ communications consistently demonstrated that
maintain, private cryptocurrency wallets and cryptocurrency exchange accounts in which all
business activities towards and conducts business with consumers throughout the United
States, including within the State of Florida and this district through at least the e-mail address
personal jurisdiction in this district pursuant to Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 4(k)(2) because
(i) Defendant is not subject to jurisdiction in any state’s court of general jurisdiction; and (ii)
exercising jurisdiction is consistent with the United States Constitution and laws.
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Case 1:23-cv-20399-XXXX Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/31/2023 Page 3 of 16
10. On or about April 15, 2022, Defendant connected with Plaintiff through
11. Defendant misrepresented that she was successfully engaged in the trading of
cryptocurrency investments.
12. Defendant misrepresented that her aunt, Li Xueying, was a successful trading
expert who managed a lucrative analyst group at Grayscale Investments - a legitimate third
execute cryptocurrency trades and earn a profit for Plaintiff. Accordingly, Defendant
(“FOUNDRYPRO”). In reality, neither Defendant nor her aunt had any relationship with
Defendant.
phone and WhatsApp internet service), interstate (cellular and internet) phone calls,
international (cellular and internet) phone calls, and e-mail (from [email protected]).
16. Margin trading, also called leveraged trading, refers to making bets on
cryptocurrency markets with “leverage,” or borrowed funds, while only exposing a smaller
amount of a trader’s own capital. Margin is the amount of cryptocurrency a trader needs to
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Case 1:23-cv-20399-XXXX Document 1 Entered on FLSD Docket 01/31/2023 Page 4 of 16
enter into a leveraged position. Margin trading positions can be regarded as either a long or
short position with respect to the cryptocurrency in question. In a long position, a trader buys
a cryptocurrency in anticipation of selling it in the future when the price rises, making a profit
from the price difference. In a short position, a trader borrows a cryptocurrency at its current
displayed increasing “fake” gains over Plaintiff’s investments, on which - along with
after Plaintiff attempted to withdraw his cryptocurrency from the FOUNDRYPRO platform.
which generation or ownership records are supported through a distributed ledger technology
of characters that is given to every transaction that is verified and added to the blockchain. A
TXID is used to uniquely identify a particular transaction. All on-chain transactions (the
transactions from or to external addresses) have a unique TXID that can be seen in transaction
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details. All on-chain transactions (depositing and withdrawing of funds) have a unique TXID
category of cryptocurrencies with mechanisms that are aimed at maintaining a stable value,
such as by pegging the value of the coin to a specific currency, asset, or pool of assets or by
22. Between May 17, 2022, and October 28, 2022, Plaintiff sent eight USDT
Crypto.com account:
23. Between September 18, 2022, and October 2, 2022, Plaintiff sent four
Crypto.com account:
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24. On August 30, 2022, Plaintiff sent a cryptocurrency transaction to a third virtual
25. Plaintiff’s funds were traced through multiple wallets prior to landing on the
BINANCE
Sender Address Date (UTC) Amount Receiver Address
Binance Exchange
Aug 31, 2022,
30,000 USDT 0x28c6c06298d514db089934071355e
Binance Deposit 8:01:59 PM
5743bf21d60
0x54414a636b5439b14266f1ec9504a3
4b50cb5b9b Sep 1, 2022,
100,000 USDT
1:30:16 AM
Binance Deposit
Sep 7, 2022,
0x753173f4a680796f98e6b824a0f2da 549,858 USDT
4:59:41 AM
6fef191b39
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Binance Deposit
Jul 3, 2022,
0xb90f30f9f279fc07f33c3cd3942dc02 50,000 USDT
11:30:11 PM
8f97400a4
Binance Deposit
Jul 3, 2022,
0xb90a40957179711a53d09ade855bc5 47,800 USDT
1:00:18 AM
f45eeca1e1
Binance Deposit
Jul 1, 2022,
0x38f6e7dd38954102b8471e7985d242 100,000 USDT
8:00:08 AM
0d23b3f35d
Jul 2, 2022,
51,000 USDT
5:30:06 AM
Binance Deposit
Jul 2, 2022,
0x94bf1e38da59c7df90566883a3525c 55,000 USDT
4:30:29 PM
5fa3ca215c
Jul 3, 2022,
55,000 USDT
1:30:11 PM
Binance Deposit
Jul 2, 2022, 9:00:19
0xc52b9dfb82490d14d76f0efd7ce76e8 60,000 USDT
AM
2f2b5adfc
Binance Deposit
Nov 1, 2022,
0xf380135d44be7e08a95c74c01c53de 70,000 USDT
3:30:23 AM
aec3a1701f
Binance Deposit
Sep 19, 2022,
0xea5331f5f39c6e3801e4fd63d99e75b 127,397 USDT
1:30:23 PM
2a527d032
Binance Deposit
Oct 31, 2022,
0xf1d60bb0958a79cbaf2145a929cd39 50,000 USDT
7:30:23 AM
5173a37149
Binance Deposit
Nov 3, 2022,
0x98a3b01609867a066524f78b33c72f 100,000 USDT
6:30:23 AM
eef598d78d
Nov 3, 2022,
79,000 USDT
7:30:35 AM
Binance Deposit
Aug 31, 2022,
0x54414a636b5439b14266f1ec9504a3 100,000 USDT
5:00:50 PM
4b50cb5b9b
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Binance Deposit
Sep 2, 2022,
0xa14e0972a9d1ecdd7b8eb3be27b390 100,000 USDT
6:00:17 AM
1ebb24518f
Binance Deposit
Sep 2, 2022,
0x9f7db89d141521517a553fbb704b8b 290,860 USDT
6:31:04 AM
05566c08a5
FTX
Sender Address Date (UTC) Amount Receiver Address
FTX Deposit
Jun 18, 2022, 180,000
0x56f60315bee850b6a212c797ee1ed4
7:25:12 AM USDT FTX Exchange
3503a9536c
0x2faf487a4414fe77e2327f0bf4ae2a26
FTX Deposit
Oct 16, 2022, 869,700 4a776ad2
0x0f4c6cc5492dbbeb567ad752afa4ea1
3:20:47 PM USDT
6f44e51c6
OKX
Sender Address Date (UTC) Amount Receiver Address
Sep 1, 2022,
221,402 USDT
OKX Deposit 3:17:49 AM
0x29b71e4e2d12a6aa2f3cf330f0d79e7
5e58f54f0 Sep 19, 2022,
246,020 USDT
4:06:11 PM
OKX Deposit
Jun 9, 2022,
0x967d6bc2696935b305dc42023e8e7 400,000 USDT
6:25:49 PM OKX Exchange
453bbef5f6c
0x5041ed759dd4afc3a72b8192c143f7
Sep 21, 2022, 2f4724081a
40,000 USDT
7:11:47 AM
OKX Deposit
Sep 21, 2022,
0x8c379e714c01a8f8b3cb328f46bc24 15,000 USDT
10:07:11 AM
9f918a5df4
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BITKUB
Sender Address Date (UTC) Amount Receiver Address
Bitkub Deposit
Jun 24, 2022,
0x2bc47f91bfc8d848abfce3b81f3ce07 50,000 USDT
7:13:46 AM
e647fbc2d
Bitkub Deposit
Jun 25, 2022, Bitkub Exchange
0xdb752832678b48e0ab53e023f054f6 100,000 USDT
6:24:53 AM 0x3d1d8a1d418220fd53c18744d44c18
2a09ca852c
2c46f47468
Jun 30, 2022,
Bitkub Deposit 143,266 USDT
9:14:48 AM
0xe51d0faa62f279e45938edd494f9272
Jul 1, 2022, 9:03:47
0126bcf4f 142,857 USDT
AM
26. As set forth above, Defendant converted 2,237,268 USDT from Plaintiff valued
crypto theft scheme of robbing unsuspecting persons and businesses in the U.S., in this district,
30. All conditions precedent to the maintenance of this action have been performed,
31. Plaintiff has retained the undersigned attorneys to bring this action and is
obligated to pay a reasonable attorney’s fee for their services. Plaintiff is entitled to an award
of his attorney’s fees against Defendant, among other things, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1964(c).
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COUNT I
RACKETEERING IN VIOLATION OF 18 U.S.C. § 1964
32. Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations set forth in paragraphs 1 through
31 above as if fully and expressly set forth herein and further alleges as follows.
racketeering operation.
the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 1961(4), which Enterprise was engaged in, or the affairs of which
35. Defendant and the other yet-to-be-identified parties were each also a member of
the RICO Enterprise, as each was a distinct person, separate and apart, from each of the RICO
Enterprise is attributed to every member, i.e., Defendant and the other yet-to-be-identified co-
conspirators.
38. As set forth above, the RICO Enterprise engaged in the following predicate act
of racketeering within the meaning of 18 U.S.C. § 1961(1): Wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C.
§ 1343.
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39. The predicate act set forth in this Complaint, includes defrauding Plaintiff
beginning in April 2022, through domestic and international telephone calls, WhatsApp
40. The predicate act set forth in this Complaint are related, in that they have the
same or similar purposes, results, participants, and methods of commission, and are otherwise
interrelated by distinguishing characteristics and are not isolated events. The related criminal
schemes set forth in this Complaint constitutes a “pattern or patterns of racketeering activity”
period of ten years and committed at least one such act after October 15, 1970.
42. The information that would establish further predicate acts and further acts of
racketeering is solely within the control of Defendant. However, given the global nature of
their criminal scheme, with the great distances between: (a) the members of the
FOUNDRYPRO Enterprise, including Defendant, in China; and (b) their unsuspecting victims
including Plaintiff (e.g., throughout the United States, in this district, and throughout the
world), the evidence will demonstrate the Enterprise members communicated with each other,
with Plaintiff, with victims similarly situated to Plaintiff, through use of mail and/or wire.
Plaintiff requires discovery to ferret out the further extent of predicate acts and further acts of
racketeering, including the identity of similarly situated defrauded victims and the scope of the
systematic fraud.
43. Defendant has received income derived, directly or indirectly, from a pattern of
racketeering activity and used or invested, directly or indirectly, part of such income, or the
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of, the RICO Enterprise, an enterprise which is engaged in, or the activities of which affect,
indirectly, an interest in or control of the RICO Enterprise, an enterprise which is engaged in,
1962(b).
45. Defendant was associated with the RICO Enterprise, and conducted or
participated, directly or indirectly, in the conduct of the Enterprise's affairs through the pattern
46. Defendant and the other yet-to-be-identified parties, each entered into a
Enterprises' affairs through the pattern of racketeering activity described herein, in violation
of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d).
47. As a direct and proximate result of Defendant’s unlawful actions, Plaintiff has
suffered damages.
(a) damages;
1964(c);
(e) costs;
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(g) such other and further relief as this Court deems just and proper.
COUNT II
CONVERSION
48. Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations set forth in paragraphs 1 through
31 above as if fully and expressly set forth herein and further alleges as follows.
50. Defendant has converted Plaintiff’s funds to her own use or to the use of others
not entitled thereto and has exercised dominion and control over the funds to Plaintiff’s
51. Plaintiff has suffered damages as a direct and proximate result of Defendant's
conversion.
entered against Defendant XINGZHAO LI for damages, interest, costs, and such other and
COUNT III
UNJUST ENRICHMENT
52. Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations set forth in paragraphs 1 through
31 above as if fully and expressly set forth herein and further alleges as follows.
53. Plaintiff conferred a direct benefit upon Defendant by transferring the valuable
54. Defendant has knowledge of the benefit Plaintiff conferred upon her and has
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55. The circumstances under which Plaintiff conferred, and Defendant accepted,
56. Equity requires that Defendant return to Plaintiff the benefits he conferred upon
her.
entered against Defendant XINGZHAO LI for damages, interest, costs, and such other and
COUNT IV
IMPOSITION OF A CONSTRUCTIVE TRUST
AND DISGORGEMENT OF FUNDS
57. Plaintiff adopts and realleges the allegations set forth in paragraphs 1 through
31 above as if fully and expressly set forth herein and further alleges as follows.
58. This is an action to impose a constructive trust upon the property taken from
Plaintiff that are currently held by Defendant at cryptocurrency exchanges: Binance, FTX,
59. This action further calls for the restoration to Plaintiff of that wrongfully
obtained property.
61. The cryptocurrency assets at issue are specific, identifiable property and have
62. Any and all assets being held by Defendant at Binance, FTX, OKX, and Bitkub
must be held in trust for Plaintiff’s benefit, as Defendant is not entitled to the benefit of
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wrongfully misappropriated, converted, and stolen funds and cryptocurrency assets that were
Binance, FTX, OKX, and Bitkub, must be disgorged to Plaintiff’s benefit, as Defendant is not
entitled to the benefit of wrongfully misappropriated, converted, and stolen funds and
imposition of a constructive trust over the property taken from Plaintiff that is currently under
and further demands that the wrongfully obtained property be restored to Plaintiff.
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