Police say an elderly victim purchased $750,000 worth of gold bars and nearly handed it over to two men from New York who were allegedly threatening her in Lincolnshire.
Staff at BTRC Coin & Gold, 200 Village Green in Lincolnshire, alerted the Lincolnshire Police Department on Monday to a potential scam of an elderly victim, according to Lincolnshire Deputy Chief of Police Kimberly Covelli.
The elderly woman purchased approximately $750,000 worth of gold bars.
Officers questioned the victim and immediately recognized signs of a scam, Covelli said.
The told officers she purchased the gold with the intent to give it to an individual claiming to be a government employee.
The “government employee” was threatening the arrest of her family unless she made the payment, Covelli said.
The suspect arranged to pick up the gold from the victim the following day.
The North Regional Major Crimes Task Force (NORTAF), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Lincolnshire Police Department arrested two suspects on Tuesday.
Chen Xinwei, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, and Tangchao Huang, 55, of Brooklyn, New York, were both charged with attempted theft over $500,000, a Class 2 felony.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office did not file a petition to detain Xinwei and Huang pending trial and Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim was forced to release the two with pre-trial conditions during their First Appearance Court hearing on Wednesday.
Xinwei and Huang were previously subject to federal alien removal proceedings in 2023, the judge said, citing a public safety assessment report.
“We commend our local business BTRC for their vigilance and quick action in recognizing a potential scam and alerting our department. Their awareness and willingness to get involved helped prevent a predatory crime and serious financial loss to a member of one of our most vulnerable populations,” Lincolnshire Chief of Police Joseph Leonas said.
“This serves as an important reminder that these types of crimes are happening everywhere, and the bad guys are constantly looking for new ways to take advantage of others. We urge everyone to remind their loved ones and friends about these scams, stay informed, and never hesitate to reach out to law enforcement if something doesn’t seem right,” Leonas said.
Xinwei and Huang are scheduled to appear in court again on March 26 for a preliminary hearing.