Crypto con: Boss hires female recruits to do dirty work for him

Details of a man’s crooked business operation using bitcoin has been revealed, including his efforts to stay invisible by hiding behind young female recruits who would do his dirty work for him.

Details of a man’s crooked business operation laundering criminals’ illegal fortunes using bitcoin has been revealed, including his efforts to stay invisible by hiding behind young female recruits who would do his dirty work for him.

Boss Yi Zhong hired Monique Contemplacion, Michelle Duong, Cynthia Woo and Melike Sati Pusun — aged between 22 and 24 at the time — who he directed to deposit $1m between them at Sydney Bitcoin Dealers during July and August 2020.

Cynthia Woo leaves the Downing Centre on Tuesday. Photo: Carla Hildebrandt.

Solicitor Elie Srour, Barrister Michael Pickin and Melike Pusun. Photo: Carla Hildebrandt

Bank records and texts tendered to the NSW Local Court show some recruits spent their quick earnings on Gucci, expensive restaurants and fancy hotels.

The women signed forms to say the money was from “inheritance”, “wages” or “savings” before handing over thousands of $50 notes from a Louis Vuitton duffel bag, the agreed facts show.

The cash would be swapped for bitcoin then “tumbled” between multiple digital wallets making it hard for authorities to trace, before being returned to Zhong‘s underworld customers.

Monique Contemplacion. Photo: Carla Hildebrandt

Ringleader Yi Zhong.

But despite efforts to conceal his identity, Zhong — who was 29 at the time — was captured on CCTV with the women on multiple occasions, handing them the duffel bag, giving them mobile phones and a small bag that looked like cash for their work.

The women thought the ruse was “safe”, with Contemplacion even recruiting her friend Pusun over WhatsApp.

On August 11, 2020, at 7.38am, Contemplacion texted Pusun: “Babe after work tmr are you keen to make $”.

Pusun responded: “Yeah I’ll call you back before 11 tonight … I’m down.”

Contemplacion said her “mate” wanted Pusun to join them at dinner that Friday night and to download encrypted app Wickr so he could speak with her.

The following day, Contemplacion checked in with Pusun asking her how it went.

“It was smooth, no dramas. I bought a belt”, Pusun responded.

Contemplacion wrote: “That’s good hehe. What belt!”

Pusun responded: “GUCCI. I’ll show you when I get home”.

Woo’s bank account shows she splurged on fine dining and an expensive hotel, including Aqua Dining ($238), O Bar & Dining ($341) and the Meriton Kent ($170) on a day she worked for Zhong, agreed facts state.

The women’s roles in the syndicate were likened to “drug mules”, as they carried out orders at the hands of the boss who sat at the top of the chain, the NSW Local Court heard on Tuesday at their sentence hearing.

“The whole enterprise would not be able to function if these people weren’t willing to do these acts. They play an important cog in money laundering … they are akin to a drug mule,” a prosecutor told the court.

“It’s a case of financial greed as opposed to any real need.”

Yi Zhong, 30, after his arrest in February. Picture: Supplied.

But he did say they did not make a huge amount of cash in return, with one given just $800 after depositing $100,000.

Police pounced on Zhong on February 11, 2021, as he retrieved a black duffel bag with $100,000 cash packed inside five large clear vacuum sealed bags from his Lexus in an underground car park.

He has been in prison since and is now awaiting his sentence after pleading guilty to five charges including knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime with intent to conceal and supply a prohibited drug.

The Wentworth Point resident is listed to appear in court in January, 2022.

The women declined to be interviewed by police after their arrests on March 21, 2021.

Contemplacion, 25, has pleaded guilty to dealing with $276,000 cash likely to be the proceeds of crime. She has asked for a charge of recruiting a person to carry out a criminal activity to be taken into account on sentence.

Newington resident Pusun, 24, pleaded guilty to dealing with $288,900 cash suspected to be the proceeds of crime, while she was already on an intensive supervision order.

Concord resident Woo, 23, pleaded guilty to dealing with $374,000 cash and Denham Court resident Duong, 23, pleaded guilty to dealing with $328,000 cash likely to be the proceeds of crime.

They will each be sentenced on April 1, 2022, and were bailed with conditions including not to enter Sydney Bitcoin Dealers.