THE CASE OF THE CONVICTED CHINESE MONEY LAUNDERER WITH THE ST. KITTS CBI PASSPORT AND THE FUGITIVE DISENTITLEMENT DOCTRINE

Remember DAREN LI a/k/a LI DAREN, the Chinese crypto scam fugitive, who pled guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy, and then cut off his ankle bracelet, before fleeing the United States? An angry United States District Judge in Los Angeles, sentenced Li to the maximum - 20 years' imprisonment, for his crimes. We note however that Li, when interviewed at an undisclosed location abroad
(Cambodia, perhaps?) stated that his conviction, which he pled guilty to, was "unjust," that he had been "deceived and induced" to enter a guilty plea, and that his attorney was appealing his conviction. 

Perhaps someone should enlighten Li, regarding the FUGITIVE DISENTITLEMENT DOCTRINE, well established in American Federal jurisprudence, which states that:

"In Ortega-Rodriguez v. U.S., 507 U.S. 234 (1993), the Supreme Court observed that '[i]t has been settled for well over a century that an appellate court may dismiss the appeal of a defendant who is a fugitive from justice during the pendency of his appeal,' id. at 239, citing Smith v. United States, 94 U.S. 97 (1876), as its earliest invocation of the doctrine."

Li will have to surrender himself, and return to custody, if he want to prosecute an appeal, and even then, there's case law affirming that an appellate court may not commit error if it dismisses his appeal anyway. Perhaps he should have taken the time to consult with his attorney, before cutting off that ankle bracelet, if he was truly serious about his claim of being railroaded into a guilty plea.