美国纽约曼哈顿联邦法院日前审理了一起涉及巨额资金的跨国洗钱案件，被告为原《大纪元时报》（Epoch Times）首席财务官关伟东（Weidong "Bill" Guan）。[1] 现年63岁的关伟东在法庭上对共谋洗钱罪认罪。 [1]
检方指控称，自2020年起，关伟东利用加密货币及媒体公司的银行账户清洗非法资金，其中包括通过欺诈手段获取的失业救济金等犯罪所得。 [1] 涉案金额总计达6700万美元（$67M）。[1] 该罪名若成立，最高刑期可达10年。 [1]
关伟东在认罪陈述中表示：“我选择了接受给我的解释”以及“这是一个巨大的判断失误”。 [1] 此外，检方披露的财务数据显示，相关媒体公司的收入在此期间从约1500万美元激增至6200万美元，增幅约为41%。[1]
Weidong "Bill" Guan, the former chief financial officer of Epoch Media Group Inc., pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges related to a multi-million dollar international money-laundering scheme at U.S. District Court in Manhattan on Tuesday [1]. The 63-year-old defendant admitted his guilt regarding allegations that he utilized cryptocurrency and media company bank accounts to launder illicit funds obtained through fraud, including fraudulent unemployment benefits [1]. Prosecutors stated the financial misconduct involved a conspiracy spanning multiple years starting from 2020 [1]. As part of this scheme, Guan purchased criminal proceeds using digital assets [1]. The alleged money-laundering operation is estimated at $67 million [1]. Under federal law, if convicted on these charges, Guan faces a maximum prison sentence of ten years [1]. Financial records indicate that the media company's revenue surged from approximately $15 million to roughly $62 million during this period, representing an increase of about 410% [1]. In his plea statement, Guan acknowledged making "a huge mistake in judgment" and stated he chose to accept the explanation given by authorities [1].