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CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. — A California man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in an online cryptocurrency scam that cost a Chamberlain resident nearly half a million dollars.
Chee Yeng Wong, 36, of Pasadena, California, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brule County Circuit Court to one count of Aiding, Abetting, or Advising Grand Theft. In addition to his prison sentence, Wong was fined $1,000 and ordered to pay $472,000 in restitution.
“South Dakotans do not deserve to be defrauded out of their hard-earned money,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. “We will aggressively prosecute these crimes and hold accountable those who commit them.”
The scam, which occurred between January and March 2025, began when the victim met a woman online in November 2024. She initially identified herself as Elsa Valentine on Facebook but later claimed her real name was Chen Xinyue, a 41-year-old living in Los Angeles. She told the victim she worked for a cosmetics company and was involved in cryptocurrency investments through a wealthy uncle.
Court documents indicate the victim exchanged explicit images and videos with Xinyue, who encouraged him to invest in cryptocurrency. She helped him open accounts with certain online investment companies. After an initial $5,000 deposit on Dec. 5, 2024, the victim made a small trade that appeared profitable.
Xinyue urged further investment, promising to contribute $50,000 of her own money. The victim later deposited $26,000. When he attempted to withdraw funds on Dec. 20, he was told the account was under investigation and that additional deposits were required.
By January 2025, the victim was unable to deposit funds online and was directed to deliver cash in person. He met four times with a man in the Mi Pueblo restaurant parking lot in Chamberlain, delivering $30,000, $90,000, $111,000, and $210,000 — totaling $441,000. A pre-arranged passcode verified each transaction. Authorities later identified the representative, who went by the name Jay Wang, as Chee Yeng Wong.
Attempts to withdraw funds were repeatedly blocked, with one company citing issues including illegal data nodes, anti-money laundering flags, and high-frequency trading activity. At one point, the victim’s account showed a balance exceeding $1.2 million but was frozen pending an additional deposit.
Wong was arrested on May 14, 2025, after attempting to collect another $100,000 in cash from the victim. He admitted to authorities that he had collected money on multiple occasions and delivered it to another person directing the scheme.
The case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Chamberlain Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It was prosecuted by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office and the Brule County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Jennifer Leither joined the Mitchell Republic in April 2024. She was raised in Sioux Falls, S.D. where she attended Lincoln High School. She continued her education at South Dakota State University, graduating in December 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During her time in college, Leither worked as a reporter for the campus newpaper, The Collegian. She also interned for Anderson Publications in Canistota, SD the summer of 2000. Upon graduation, Leither continued to reside in the Sioux Falls area and worked as a freelance writer for the Argus Leader for a number of years.
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