Saipan Woman Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud Scheme Targeting Multiple Victims

SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and

the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that SZE MAN YU INOS, aka “Yuki”, age 30, was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to 71 months in federal prison by Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands. Yuki was convicted of Wire Fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. The Court also imposed three years of supervised release, 100 hours of community service, restitution in the amount of $769,355.67, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. The Court further entered a criminal forfeiture personal money judgment in the amount of $684,848.34.

From November 2020 through January 2022, Yuki approached older women in Saipan and Guam to befriend them in furtherance of her fraudulent scheme. She falsely claimed she came from a wealthy family in China, owned multiple businesses, and was successful investing in Bitcoin. Yuki treated the women to expensive meals and gifts and bragged to them about how much money she made investing in Bitcoin. She confided in them about fictitious personal problems and claimed their friendship was important to her – often telling them, “You are like my mom.” After gaining the victims’ confidence, Yuki requested money from these women. She also solicited investments in Bitcoin based on false pretenses. She continued to engage in this scheme after she left the Marianas, and defrauded additional victims in Washington and California.

“Criminals engaged in affinity fraud prey on our willingness to trust others,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This defendant chose to target older women across multiple jurisdictions, resulting in substantial financial losses. She continued her scams while this case was pending. The punishment imposed by the Court is well-deserved.”

“The defendant built a career out of deception, leaving a trail of financial ruin stretching across several states and impacting dozens of innocent victims," said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. "By forging a federal judge’s signature to facilitate her schemes, the defendant acted with complete contempt for both the victims she exploited and the rule of law. The FBI remains steadfast in its mission to protect our citizens from criminals who profit through such heartless and brazen manipulation.”

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Garth R. Backe for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.