Sze Man Yu Inos, also known as “Yuki,” admitted guilt to two counts of wire fraud during a change-of-plea hearing last week in the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona accepted the plea, finding Inos competent and her admission knowing and voluntary.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 13. The court vacated her jury trial previously scheduled for Feb. 10.
Wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
Inos was arrested in San Diego on April 18 and transported to Saipan on June 23. She originally faced eight counts of wire fraud.
According to the indictment, between Nov. 1, 2020, and Jan. 1, 2022, Inos allegedly posed as a wealthy Chinese businesswoman to befriend older women, treating them to lavish meals and gifts while touting her success in Bitcoin investments. She then fabricated personal crises—such as marital or business troubles—to solicit money and cryptocurrency from her victims under false pretenses.
