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The investigation began in early March, when a victim reported being contacted by a man who identified himself a member of the Federal Trade Commission, MCPD said.
The woman was advised that she had been the victim of an identity theft leading to a federal investigation involving drugs and money laundering.
She had been instructed to transfer all of her assets into gold bars to be picked up by a courier to be taken to an “FBI Agent” to take to the US Department of Treasury to be kept safe, detectives say.
The victim agreed and completed two separate deliveries of gold bars to the couriers, worth over $789,000.
A follow-up investigation identified Wenhui Sun, 34, of Lake Arbor, California, as the courier of the second delivery of gold bars.
He was arrested Monday, March 18 in Montgomery County and taken to the Central Processing Unit to be charged.
At the time of Sun’s arrest, a plane ticket to California, dated for the day of his arrest was found in his belongings, police noted.
He is currently being held without bond.
Meanwhile, investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information is asked to visit the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website and click on P3Tips or call 1-866-411-8477. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to an arrest. Tips may remain anonymous.
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