- Chen Zhi, chairman of the Prince Group, has been indicted by a U.S. grand jury on charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. He was extradited from Cambodia to China where he also faces charges.
- The indictment identifies an individual known as Co-Conspirator-2 as an enforcer for the Prince Group, confirmed to be Chen Sokly, who was born in Shanghai in 1986.
- Chen Sokly has not been charged in the U.S. indictment, and a U.S. Treasury spokesperson declined to comment on why he has not been sanctioned.
- The Prince Group emerged in the mid-2010s as a Cambodian success story, overseeing a real estate development, finance, and consumer services empire across more than 30 countries.
- In October 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department designated the Prince Group as a transnational criminal organization, alleging it operated industrial-scale cyber-scam compounds.
- The U.S. and U.K. issued joint sanctions against more than 100 associated individuals and entities linked to the Prince Group.
- Prosecutors allege that, under the direction of Chen Zhi, the Prince Group trafficked thousands of migrant workers to at least 10 fortified scam compounds across Cambodia.
- The attached documents include California company registry and property records showcasing Chen Sokly's footprint in the United States beginning in 2019.
- Also included is the official Mauritius company record for Meritwise Group Public Ltd, an active company linked to Chen Sokly.
U.S. authorities have indicted Chen Zhi, chairman of the Prince Group, on charges of wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment alleges that under Chen's direction, the conglomerate trafficked thousands of migrant workers to scam compounds in Cambodia, luring them with false job promises.169
The indictment also identifies Chen Sokly as an alleged enforcer for the Prince Group, who has not been charged. Reports confirm that Chen Sokly, born in Shanghai in 1986, obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017 and has ties to the U.S. and Singapore.2345
The Prince Group, which emerged as a major player in real estate and finance across over 30 countries, was designated a “transnational criminal organization” by the U.S. Treasury Department in October 2025. The designation followed allegations of operating cyber-scam compounds staffed partly by human trafficking victims.7
A spokesperson for the Prince Group has denied all allegations, stating, “Chen and Prince are not now, nor have ever been involved in the scam, scam compound, money laundering, or other criminal activity alleged by the U.S. Government.” Despite sanctions against over 100 individuals and entities associated with the group, Chen Sokly remains uncharged and unsanctioned.
The indictment includes evidence of Chen Sokly's business activities in California, where he has established multiple companies and purchased properties linked to individuals under U.S. sanctions.10
The U.S. Treasury Department has not commented on why Chen Sokly has not faced sanctions, raising questions about the ongoing investigation into the Prince Group's operations.
“Chen Sokly, born in Shanghai in 1986, obtained Cambodian citizenship in 2017 and Cypriot citizenship in 2018, and owns three active California companies and two properties in Yorba Linda and San Marino. The Prince Group spokesperson denied all allegations, vowing to 'challenge these accusations' and expose 'factual and chronological impossibilities.'”
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project | OCCRP
