LOS ANGELES — An Arcadia woman was sentenced Wednesday to more than 10 years in federal prison for running an international money laundering network that moved more than $11.6 million stolen from elderly Americans through impersonation and tech-support scams, official stated.
Cynthia “Iris” Song, 43, also known as Xin Wang, received a 121-month sentence from U.S. District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr., who ordered her to pay more than $10 million in restitution, officials stated.
She pleaded guilty in June to conspiracy to commit money laundering and has remained in custody since October 2024.
Prosecutors said Song helped fraudsters overseas — many in China and Hong Kong — pose as federal agents, government officials and computer technicians to trick victims, often seniors, into wiring large sums to U.S. bank accounts she controlled.
Song initially laundered money through accounts tied to her company, SW Prosperity Real Estate Development LLC.
In one instance, victims were induced to wire more than $170,000 into one of her accounts; the money was quickly withdrawn or moved offshore.
She later recruited at least 15 people into the scheme, directing them to open shell business accounts to receive victim payments.
Song took a 5% to 10% cut before sending the rest abroad, prosecutors said. She also coached recruits on how to fool banks by providing fake cover stories, victims’ driver’s licenses and other documents to keep accounts from being frozen.
Song and her associates laundered at least $11.7 million from roughly 180 victims nationwide. Banks recovered about $2.7 million before the funds could be moved.
In court filings, prosecutors said the victims — many of whom lost life savings — continue to suffer “shame, regret and depression,” with some forced to alter their standard of living in retirement drastically.
IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case.