On Friday, September 19th, in the Southern District of New York federal court, Qingzhou Wang, the owner of Hubei Wuhan Amarvel Biotech, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for transporting fentanyl precursor chemicals to the United States, money laundering, and related crimes. Upon completion of his sentence, he will also be subject to three years of supervised release in the United States. This means that for the next 28 years, he will be restricted within the borders of the United States.
During his sentencing, the 37-year-old Wang appeared in court wearing black-rimmed glasses and a khaki prison uniform. On this day that would determine his fate, Wang attempted to challenge the prosecution’s calculations by invoking the federal sentencing guidelines but was quickly rejected by the judge.
Wang contested three aggravating factors in his sentencing: complex money laundering, opposing a two-level enhancement, arguing that the use of cryptocurrency should not constitute complex money laundering; leadership role, opposing a four-level enhancement, claiming to be only a “salesman” and should not be considered as a boss; and large-scale marketing, opposing a two-level enhancement, emphasizing that he did not coordinate website sales with accomplices.
However, the prosecution pointed out in their sentencing recommendation that Wang and his associates used shell companies, offshore cryptocurrency accounts, and multi-layered transactions to conceal fund flows, meeting the definition of “complex money laundering.” Evidence showed that he and his wife received tens of thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency into accounts under her name, with the trading platform registered in Seychelles, constituting offshore accounts.
Regarding his leadership role, the prosecution emphasized that Wang was a joint owner, responsible for pricing, overseeing transportation, payment approvals, and in a group chat, verbally admitted to having the “final say.” The company shipped to 278 customers in 63 countries worldwide within a year, demonstrating its large scale.
The prosecution argued that Wang directly commanded subordinates, chaired negotiations at meetings in Bangkok and Fiji, and claimed to have exported seven tons of chemicals to the United States in a given month. More significantly, he has not shown remorse to this day and has accused the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of setting him up. The prosecution believes that this attitude indicates that if he were to return to China, he would likely resume his illegal activities, and the lack of an extradition treaty between China and the United States would make it harder to hold him accountable under U.S. jurisdiction.
The prosecution initially recommended a 30-year sentence as a necessary measure to “protect American society.”
After failing in his legal defense, Wang sought compassion through a personal statement. He expressed that his two years in prison were filled with fear, and his greatest concern has always been his family: his parents are over seventy years old, and his in-laws are in poor health. When speaking about his 11-year-old son, he became emotional. He emphasized that he was “tempted by the DEA’s fabricated business transactions” while in Fiji.
However, he spoke respectfully to the judge and praised his professionalism. He stated that before his arrest in June 2023, he had only seen the United States in movies. Initially, he thought that being in a foreign country with a different language, unfamiliar laws, and his fate in the hands of 12 jurors who knew little about China would not lead to a fair trial. Yet, the trial process made him “very touched” by the fairness of the American jury system and the jurors’ seriousness.
He mentioned that these experiences broadened his horizons and exposed him to different cultures. He actively participated in rehabilitation programs, learned English and financial management, and joined self-improvement courses in prison, earning the approval of instructors. He emphasized that if given the chance to return home, he would be willing to help elderly Chinese people prevent fraud and promised to “never touch chemicals again.”
However, the court dismissed the claim of being set up, pointing out that the company’s website openly sold fentanyl precursors as early as 2022 and claimed to be able to secretly transport them, over a year before the DEA controlled the purchase operation.
During sentencing, Judge Paul Gardephe reiterated the offenses one by one, noting that fentanyl is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, with just 2 milligrams being lethal, and Wang attempted to sell 50 kilograms to the United States. He stated that a “harsh punishment” was necessary as a deterrent for others.
The defense argued for a reduction in sentence based on family suffering, stating that Wang was the sole economic provider for his wife and child. However, the judge rejected this, emphasizing that “although his family won’t see him for 28 years, many American families have lost loved ones due to fentanyl.”
The prosecutor added that Qingzhou Wang had sharp thinking and a strong capability to manufacture fentanyl precursor materials. Even with a reduced sentence, it would be difficult to ensure he would not reoffend.
In the end, the court ruled for a 25-year prison sentence for Qingzhou Wang and confiscated $67,168; his accomplice and marketing manager, Yiyi Chen (33), had already been sentenced to 15 years last month and was ordered to surrender 12 domain names related to the case.
After the sentencing, Southern District of New York Prosecutor Jay Clayton stated, “Individuals like Qingzhou Wang and Yiyi Chen who callously sell fentanyl precursors help fuel the opioid epidemic. Today’s judgment proves they have nowhere to hide.”
Drug Enforcement Administration Director Terrance Cole also pointed out, “These individuals turned a Chinese chemical company into a conduit for drugs, shipping hundreds of kilograms of precursor materials disguised as everyday products to the United States and profiting through cryptocurrency. Fentanyl is taking lives in America, and they are still profiting.”