The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced that eight Chinese nationals, who had obtained student visas to attend college in the U.S., have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The charges involve conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The individuals charged are Yankun Jiang, Hanlin Yang, Chenhao Chen, Xiaoqing Tu, Dongjie Lu, Lei Bao, Kuo Zhang, and Jiacheng Zhang.
Acting United States Attorney John Gurganus explained that the indictment alleges a large-scale computer “pop-up” scam was orchestrated by the defendants. This scam targeted elderly victims by falsely claiming their computers or bank accounts were compromised. It is further alleged that members of the conspiracy posed as federal law enforcement officers and collected large sums of cash from victims under false pretenses. Over 50 victims across 19 states reportedly lost more than $10 million due to this scheme.
Special Agent in Charge Edward V. Owens of HSI Philadelphia stated: “These indictments highlight the relentless efforts of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguard our elderly population from complex fraud operations.” He emphasized the emotional and financial harm caused to elderly victims nationwide and reiterated HSI’s commitment alongside the FBI to secure justice for those affected.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuting the case.
Under federal law, the maximum penalty for this offense is 20 years imprisonment, followed by supervised release and a fine. Sentences are determined by a judge after reviewing federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.
It is important to note that indictments are only allegations at this stage, and all charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
