An unlawful immigrant who was busted for allegedly dealing cocaine in reference to a world cash laundering and drug trafficking ring has reportedly left the nation earlier than his trial.
Xiong Lin just lately bought his Chinese language passport again to journey from Tennessee to Massachusetts for his federal court docket appearances.
However after the federal choose allowed Lin to get his passport, he apparently took off — and he’s now a needed fugitive.
“On July 23, 2025, the Court held a final pretrial conference in this matter,” the court docket document states. “Defendant Xiong Lin failed to appear and is believed to have departed the United States. A warrant was issued.”
Lin has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to own with intent to distribute 500 grams or extra of cocaine.
He’s accused of handing an secret agent a purchasing bag with a kilo of cocaine.
His trial in Boston federal court docket had been set for this coming Monday, and he’s dealing with a attainable obligatory minimal time period of incarceration if convicted.
The cost of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or extra of cocaine can result in a compulsory minimal sentence of 5 years and as much as 40 years in jail, at the very least 4 years of supervised launch, and a advantageous of as much as $5 million.
The case goes again to 2022 when 11 suspects from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California have been charged for his or her alleged involvement in a complicated worldwide cash laundering and drug trafficking group involving cocaine and MDMA (ecstasy).
Following a months-long undercover operation, investigators recognized Jin Zhang because the chief of a prison group whose members laundered tens of millions of {dollars}, conspired to distribute a number of kilos of cocaine in Massachusetts — and operated all through the U.S., together with the Boston-area, in addition to abroad.
Zhang pleaded responsible in 2023. He directed his co-defendants and others to ship tons of of 1000’s of {dollars} in money, and tens of millions of {dollars} in wire transfers and financial institution deposits to undercover brokers in alternate for cryptocurrency.
“Jin Hua Zhang admitted to leading a sophisticated, transnational criminal organization that flooded the streets of Massachusetts with kilos of cocaine and ecstasy and laundered at least $25 million through a global network in an attempt to conceal their criminal conduct,” mentioned Jodi Cohen, who was the FBI Boston particular agent in cost when Zhang pleaded responsible.
The tens of millions in funds have been proceeds of drug trafficking and numerous fraud schemes that have been based mostly within the U.S. and overseas. Zhang allegedly believed crypto would allow his group to switch illicit funds with out detection by banks’ safety groups or regulation enforcement.
In complete, Zhang and his co-conspirators laundered greater than $25 million.
Funds have been traced from Zhang’s group to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, amongst different places.
The investigation revealed that Zhang and members of his group conspired to distribute kilogram-sized portions of cocaine and MDMA to undercover brokers and cooperating witnesses.
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