July 7: two 
nationals — Enhua Fang (left pic) and Jianfei Lu (right pic) — and a New York woman — Shu Jun Zhen, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds. They are the last of six total defendants charged in the indictment to plead guilty.
Fang, Lu and Zhen were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the US, primarily through Mexico.
Fang was an organizer within the CMLO who directed a group of couriers to pick up bulk cash proceeds from unlawful activities, including narcotics trafficking, from individuals throughout the US. The couriers then deposited these illicit funds, which generally exceeded $10,000, into shell company bank accounts controlled by the CMLO in order to conceal the nature of the illicit funds. Fang used multiple cellphones, changing phone numbers regularly, and several encrypted messaging applications to communicate with the CMLO’s foreign-based operatives and US-based drug traffickers. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Fang admitted that she was personally responsible for laundering at least $90 million of illicit funds in less than two years. Fang further admitted that she knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking.
Lu collected drug trafficking proceeds from US-based drug traffickers and deposited those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated bulk cash pickups and deposits while Fang was in China and procured fake driver’s licenses for the CMLO’s couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major US banks. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in the laundering of between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds. Lu further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds.
Zhen, at Fang’s and Lu’s direction, picked up and deposited — using both her real and fake identities — nearly $25 million of illicit bulk cash, including drug trafficking proceeds. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Zhen admitted that she knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking.
Fang and Zhen each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lu pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transaction counts.
All members of the CMLO charged to date have pleaded guilty, including the three who pleaded guilty on Apr 30, 2025; as a result, this particularly prolific cell within the CMLO has been completely dismantled.
justice.gov/opa/pr/final-t
nationals — Enhua Fang (left pic) and Jianfei Lu (right pic) — and a New York woman — Shu Jun Zhen, all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving drug trafficking proceeds. They are the last of six total defendants charged in the indictment to plead guilty.
Fang, Lu and Zhen were members of the CMLO that laundered over $92 million in illicit funds, including proceeds from the importation and distribution of illegal drugs into the US, primarily through Mexico.
Fang was an organizer within the CMLO who directed a group of couriers to pick up bulk cash proceeds from unlawful activities, including narcotics trafficking, from individuals throughout the US. The couriers then deposited these illicit funds, which generally exceeded $10,000, into shell company bank accounts controlled by the CMLO in order to conceal the nature of the illicit funds. Fang used multiple cellphones, changing phone numbers regularly, and several encrypted messaging applications to communicate with the CMLO’s foreign-based operatives and US-based drug traffickers. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Fang admitted that she was personally responsible for laundering at least $90 million of illicit funds in less than two years. Fang further admitted that she knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking.
Lu collected drug trafficking proceeds from US-based drug traffickers and deposited those illicit funds, using both real and fake identities, into shell company bank accounts registered by other members of the CMLO. Lu also served as a manager for the CMLO: he coordinated bulk cash pickups and deposits while Fang was in China and procured fake driver’s licenses for the CMLO’s couriers, which were used to deposit illicit funds at major US banks. Pursuant to his plea agreement, Lu admitted that he had actual knowledge and involvement in the laundering of between $25 million and $65 million in illicit funds. Lu further admitted that he knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds.
Zhen, at Fang’s and Lu’s direction, picked up and deposited — using both her real and fake identities — nearly $25 million of illicit bulk cash, including drug trafficking proceeds. Pursuant to her plea agreement, Zhen admitted that she knew funds laundered in the conspiracy included drug trafficking proceeds or funds intended to promote drug trafficking.
Fang and Zhen each pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, one count of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and one count of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000. Lu pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy, two counts of money laundering to conceal the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the illicit proceeds, and two counts of monetary transaction involving criminally derived property greater than $10,000.
The defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the conspiracy and money laundering counts and a maximum of 10 years in prison on each of the monetary transaction counts.
All members of the CMLO charged to date have pleaded guilty, including the three who pleaded guilty on Apr 30, 2025; as a result, this particularly prolific cell within the CMLO has been completely dismantled.
justice.gov/opa/pr/final-t
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Byron Wan
@Byron_Wan
Two nationals — Maoxuan Xia (left pic) and Zhou Yu (right pic) — and a California man — Shao Neng Lin (middle pic), all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), have pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving $92 million in drug trafficking
Show more nationals — Maoxuan Xia (left pic) and Zhou Yu (right pic) — and a California man — Shao Neng Lin (middle pic), all members of a prolific Chinese money laundering organization (CMLO), have pleaded guilty to money laundering charges involving $92 million in drug trafficking