U.S. officials allege that **Kok An**'s network of scam centers launders victims' funds and provides a base to target U.S. citizens, committing human rights abuses with impunity. This action comes after Thailand issued an arrest warrant for **Kok An** last July and raided dozens of his properties, seizing assets worth over $33.8 million. ### The Reach of Crown Resorts **Kok An**'s flagship company, Crown Resorts, owns casinos, resorts, and hotels across several Cambodian cities. These locations have reportedly been converted into facilities used by criminal organizations for digital asset investment fraud and other scams. Victims of human trafficking have reported being exploited and forced to steal money from others, including Americans, to repay the costs of their abduction.  *An image of a Burmese scam compound highlighted by the Justice Department.* ### Sanctions and Associates The Treasury Department has also sanctioned several of **Kok An**'s associates, including Rithy Raksmei, owner of K99 Group, which operates casinos that have allegedly housed trafficking victims. Other individuals named in the sanctions include Burmese nationals Aik Paung and Sai Aung Linn, Cambodian casino owner Luo Hong, as well as a bank called Heng Feng Cambodia. Investigators found that Luo Hong facilitated the transfer of scam funds from U.S. bank accounts to accounts abroad. At least $1.3 million was traced to bank accounts belonging to Luo Hong, and eight U.S. residents have pleaded guilty to their involvement in the scheme, including money launderer Daren Li, who fled the U.S. after cutting off his ankle monitor. ### Strike Force Actions These sanctions were launched alongside the Scam Center Strike Force, a DOJ-led initiative to combat digital scams. The Strike Force has also announced the seizure of 503 web domains used to legitimize fake crypto investment companies and charged two Chinese nationals, Huang Xingshan and Jiang Wen Jie, with wire fraud for running cryptocurrency investment fraud operations at the Shunda compound in Myanmar. The State Department has offered a $10 million reward for information related to another scam compound and a $4 million reward for Daren Li. The FBI has notified 8,935 victims of cryptocurrency investment fraud since January 2024, with some victims reporting that they were in the process of liquidating their 401K, selling their home, or obtaining a sizable loan before being notified by the FBI about the scam.