Climate Activist Changli Luo Charged in Sextortion Scheme Against Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens

A Chinese climate activist's alleged sextortion scheme against Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wes Edens collapsed when she contracted HPV from their encounter and demanded more money, court documents show.

Prosecutors say Changli "Sophia" Luo demanded as much as $1 billion, later cut to $50 million, while threatening to "destroy" the billionaire investor with fake explicit images and reports to authorities. Agents arrested her last year at John F. Kennedy International Airport with a one-way ticket to China.

Bail filings indicate her $500,000 bond came from Robin Mui, an executive at a U.S. newspaper with Chinese Communist Party ties, the New York Post reported Wednesday. Her defense team argues she poses no flight risk after surrendering her passport.

Luo founded One World Initiative, a New York nonprofit focused on climate change, economic development and world health. Archived versions of its website call for net zero emissions by 2050 and label climate change the top human challenge.

Edens, 64, is a billionaire Wall Street investor and Bucks part owner.

In May 2024, Luo sent Victim-1 two iMessage letters accusing him of misleading her for sex or having sex while she was mentally incapacitated, prosecutors wrote. She claimed her home had cameras that captured everything and threatened mass media exposure without an apology.

They first settled for about $6 million. But one of her defense attorneys, Arthur Aidala, said in a court filing that Luo then discovered she had HPV from the encounter.

Aidala filed a motion to dismiss last month, blaming her prior civil attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, for botching settlement talks and threatening Edens. Luo then used Blackburn to seek over $1 billion, reduced to $50 million, the filing states. Her criminal team claims Blackburn made the boldest threats but faces no charges.

In an email to Fox News Digital, Blackburn rejected the claims. "Sophia Luo's counsel is attempting to distract from the evidence by using me as a scapegoat for conduct that occurred before I was involved," he wrote. He said the worst evidence, including fabricated AI videos, fake medical records, nonprofit claims, business sites, family threats and demands from $1 billion down to $175 million, predated him. Blackburn said he warned Luo and never filed the civil suit despite her pressure.

"If her attorneys believe my conduct is relevant to their defense, they should subpoena me," he added. "I will gladly appear, testify under oath, and answer every question truthfully."

During second talks, Luo threatened to "destroy" Victim-1 without responsibility and claimed apartment cameras held videos and pictures of the encounter, prosecutors wrote. She also threatened federal reports alleging he bribed officials.

Prosecutors describe a plot to shake down Edens and hide FBI evidence. On April 5, 2025, before May search warrants, Luo Googled a handling assistant U.S. attorney, a bail filing states.

Agents reached her Manhattan apartment via a maintenance worker after she ignored them. The search found multiple cellphones, one in dirty laundry and another with sanitary pads, plus digital drives. She had edited photos grafting Edens' face onto another man in sexual acts.

They met in 2022 after Luo contacted Edens on LinkedIn. After dates and sex at her apartment, she texted love. "I never told you I love you, and tonight I want to tell you that, I have been restraining my feeling for you," one message read. "As I do love you from the bottom of my heart!"

Edens did not reply. Months later, she recontacted him without response, then appeared at his new girlfriend's job with a fake name. She claimed he forced an abortion and called him horrible, comparing him to Jeffrey Epstein, documents state.

The judge has not ruled on Luo's dismissal motion.