A Chinese national who also holds citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis and is currently a fugitive from US justice is listed as the owner of a high-value residential property in Dubai, according to tenancy and real estate records. The property, a five-bedroom villa located in Wadi Al Safa 7, has been generating approximately AED 250,000 (around $68,000) annually in rental income.

The owner, Daren Li, was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in federal prison by a US court for his role in a Cambodia-based cryptocurrency investment fraud scheme that allegedly laundered more than $73 million stolen from US citizens. Despite his conviction and subsequent disappearance, records indicate that the Dubai property remains leased under active tenancy agreements.

Tenancy documentation shows that Li used his Saint Kitts passport when registering the Dubai villa. The gated community property has been leased to Chinese nationals on consecutive annual contracts. As of last year, the most recent lease remained valid through at least September 2025.

The consistency of these rental agreements suggests the property is being actively managed and maintained as an income-producing asset. In Dubai’s competitive real estate market-where foreign nationals can own property outright in designated zones-such villas in suburban master-planned communities are attractive to expatriate tenants seeking privacy and security.

Li’s dual nationality adds complexity to the case. Saint Kitts and Nevis operates a long-standing citizenship-by-investment program that allows foreign nationals to acquire a second passport through qualifying financial contributions. Such citizenship can facilitate global mobility and access to banking systems, often making asset ownership across jurisdictions easier to structure.

Li was sentenced on February 9 by the US District Court for the Central District of California to 20 years in prison. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office,........

© Blitz