Two New York men have been charged in suburban Lake County with trying to scam an elderly woman out of $750,000 worth of gold bars.
Employees at the BTRC Coin & Gold store in Lincolnshire alerted police Monday to a potential scam after the 77-year-old woman bought about $750,000 worth of gold from the store. She said that someone claiming to be a government official threatened to arrest her unless she gave them the gold, Lincolnshire police said.
The suspects arranged to meet with the woman Tuesday, when Lincolnshire police officers, FBI agents and other law enforcement officials arrested them, police said.
Chen Xinwei, 34, and Tangchao Huang, 55, both from Brooklyn, New York, each face a felony count of attempted theft of between $500,000 and $1 million. They were released from custody after their first court appearances Wednesday.
“We commend our local business BTRC for their vigilance and quick action in recognizing a potential scam and alerting our department,” Lincolnshire Police Chief Joseph Leonas said in a statement. “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.”
Huang and Xinwei’s next court date is March 26.