DOJ Seeks Forfeiture of 1.00001188 BTC Linked to Wei Gong
DOJ seeks forfeiture of 1.00001188 BTC seized from a Binance account tied to Wei ‘David’ Gong, arrested in China and accused of shipping synthetic cathinones to Georgia via Savannah.
The Justice Department is seeking forfeiture of 1.00001188 bitcoin seized from a Binance account identified by investigators as controlled by Chinese national Wei “David” Gong. Federal prosecutors say Gong is accused of importing synthetic cathinones into Georgia and directing shipments through the Port of Savannah.
Prosecutors unsealed charges after Gong was arrested in China on May 20, 2026. A civil forfeiture complaint filed April 15, 2026 links the specific bitcoin to Binance account number 53514319. Investigators obtained a seizure warrant on Dec. 19, 2023, and Binance transferred the cryptocurrency to the Drug Enforcement Administration in March and April 2024, according to court records.
Undercover Drug Enforcement Administration purchases were used to connect payments to alleged shipments. On March 28, 2023, an undercover agent sent 0.18092382 BTC after Gong quoted $1,000 per kilogram for five kilograms of eutylone. Agents later recovered a package in the Savannah Division that contained about 5.20 kilograms of suspected eutylone; a forensic chemist confirmed approximately 4.9855 kilograms of N,N-dimethylpentylone. A second undercover purchase on June 20, 2023 involved 0.03589067 BTC for one kilogram.
Prosecutors say blockchain tracing and exchange records tied those bitcoin transfers to orders and shipments. The complaint describes review of records from Binance and other platforms, including Coinbase, Huobi, OKX, CashApp and CoinPayments, documenting flows between accounts. The Binance account identified as Gong’s logged 666 bitcoin transactions between October 2020 and July 2023, with 19 buys totaling about $254,281.85 and 204 sells totaling about $2.33 million. WhatsApp messages included in the filing are cited as showing Gong using the same bitcoin address and accepting payment in crypto.
In a DOJ statement, prosecutors said the United States is seeking forfeiture of cryptocurrency seized during the investigation through both the criminal indictment and the civil forfeiture case. The filing alleges violations of customs and money laundering laws and describes the seized bitcoin as proceeds or property connected to drug trafficking.
China’s Ministry of Public Security confirmed coordination with U.S. agencies and that Gong was arrested after investigators shared information through official law enforcement channels. The indictment carries potential penalties of up to 20 years in prison on each count if Gong is extradited to the United States and convicted.
The civil forfeiture action and the criminal case proceed in parallel. Court records show federal investigators relied on blockchain analysis and exchange records to trace payment flows linked to alleged international narcotics shipments routed through U.S. ports.
The material on GNcrypto is intended solely for informational use and must not be regarded as financial advice. We make every effort to keep the content accurate and current, but we cannot warrant its precision, completeness, or reliability. GNcrypto does not take responsibility for any mistakes, omissions, or financial losses resulting from reliance on this information. Any actions you take based on this content are done at your own risk. Always conduct independent research and seek guidance from a qualified specialist. For further details, please review our Terms, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers.
Articles by this author
