Woman pleads guilty in $1.2 billion plot targeting Wes Edens, co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and Aston Villa, and co-founder of Fortress Investment

A woman who prosecutors say used LinkedIn to find wealthy men pleaded guilty Tuesday in Manhattan federal court to fraud tied to a plot to extort more than $1.2 billion from Fortress Investment Group co-founder Wes Edens.

“I deeply regret engaging in this conduct, and I knew that my conduct was wrong, and I accept responsibility for it,” Changli “Sophia” Luo told U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett, according to a court transcript viewed by Bloomberg. She faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing in February. A trial had originally been set to start on Nov. 16 prior to the guilty plea.

Court documents reviewed by Fortune call the target “Victim-1” and don’t name him. Bloomberg, citing a person with direct knowledge, reported that he is Edens, and that an Edens spokesperson declined to comment. The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets have also identified the victim as Edens, who co-owns the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks and the Aston Villa soccer team in England.

The account below comes from the complaint, indictments and filings by prosecutors and Luo’s lawyers. They set out the government’s allegations, which Luo’s lawyers had disputed before her plea. The documents say Victim-1 denies Luo’s allegations against him. Fortress Investment and Luo’s lawyer didn’t respond to requests for comment.

From LinkedIn to a mediator

Luo cold-messaged Victim-1 on LinkedIn in November 2022 to discuss a business endeavor, according to the court documents. After a handful of meetings, the two had a sexual encounter at her midtown Manhattan apartment in June 2023.

Several days after that, prosecutors say, Luo texted Victim-1 a letter professing her love, though she had........

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