A former lover of Milwaukee Bucks owner Wes Edens has pleaded guilty to attempting to extort $1.2 billion from him in a blackmail scheme.
46-year-old Chinese entrepreneur Changli “Sophia” Luo entered a guilty plea to wire fraud in federal court in Manhattan this week. In addition to blackmailing Wes Edens, Luo was also accused by the prosecution of exploiting two other men financially through romantic relationships, including the unauthorized use of their credit card information.
“I deeply regret engaging in this conduct, and I knew that my conduct was wrong, and I accept responsibility for it,” she told U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett.
She tried to extort Wes Edens out of more than $1 billion
In May, federal prosecutors filed charges against Luo, alleging that she had blackmailed Wes Edens, co-founder of the Fortress Investment Group, demanding half of his money. Four charges, including blackmail and destruction, alteration, or falsification of records in federal investigations, were brought against Luo by the authorities in connection with the alleged extortion scheme.
Wes Edens and Luo first met on LinkedIn in November 2022 and had “a handful” in-person meetings prior to a sexual encounter in June 2023, according to the criminal complaint. He allegedly failed to reply to a letter she wrote him after the encounter, sparking her blackmail plot.
Luo then claimed she was “mentally incompetent or mentally disabled” at the time of their interaction and accused the Bucks owner of deceiving her.
She threatened to release an intimate video of their encounter
For months, she allegedly threatened to release videos and images of the Milwaukee Bucks owner having sex with her. In texts to Edens, Luo emphasized that everything he “did was caught on camera” and that her “house has cameras.” Luo allegedly threatened to release the video to the “mass media” if Edens did not issue an apology.
To stop her from harassing his family in the future, Edens settled with her by paying her a set amount after rejecting her accusations. According to court documents, he promised to pay her $6.5 million, including $1 million up front. Another round of blackmail demands, totaling $1.215 billion, was sent by Luo in January 2025. According to prosecutors, she later reducing her demand to $50 million.
Luo reportedly acknowledged that she had made up the claim that she had recorded the sexual encounter with Edens. She avoided a trial initially scheduled for November by pleading guilty. Her plea deal includes $2 million in financial penalties. In February 2027, she will be sentenced and could receive up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors and defense lawyers, however, have reportedly suggested three to four years.