Overview
- Wes Edens was publicly identified Sunday by his spokesman to the Wall Street Journal as the unnamed victim in the federal case, and he expects to testify at trial.
- Federal prosecutors have charged Changli “Sophia” Luo with counts including blackmail and destruction of records; she has pleaded not guilty, is on a $500,000 bond, and remains under home detention.
- Prosecutors say Luo contacted Edens on LinkedIn in 2022, had a brief relationship with him in 2023, then threatened to release sexual photos and videos while reaching out to his family and business circle.
- Court filings state Edens agreed to a $6.5 million settlement during a Zoom mediation overseen by a former judge, including $1 million upfront, before the demands escalated to about $1.2 billion.
- Investigators say an FBI search found hidden phones in Luo’s Manhattan apartment, including one in a box of sanitary pads with manipulated images placing Edens’ face on another body, and they arrested her at JFK on June 14 while she tried to board a flight to China.