BUCKHANNON – Two New York men were arrested after allegedly posing as Chase Bank employees in an attempt to take money from an Upshur County woman who believed she had a virus on her computer.
Xianjin Yang, 28, of Elmhurst, New York, was arrested for an attempted offense, financial exploitation of an elderly person and fraudulent schemes, all felonies. Yang was also charged with two misdemeanors – obstructing an officer and failure to fingerprint.
Shaotong Chen, 21, of New York, no specific address listed, was arrested for an attempted offense, financial exploitation of an elderly person and fraudulent schemes, all felonies.
According to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk’s Office filed by Trooper C.C. Jones with the Buckhannon detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on March 8, 2024, Cpl. P. Robinette and Jones responded to Parkway Drive in reference to a suspicious vehicle with a New York registration plate.
Officers encountered a male subject, later identified as Yang, dressed in dark clothing, who allegedly began to run in the opposite direction of officers in the area. Officers ordered Yang to show his hands and get on his knees.
According to the report, Yang allegedly did not comply and then reportedly threw money and an unknown object away from him. Officers pursued him and placed Yang in hand restraints.
Officers spoke with a 72-year-old female – later discovered to be the alleged victim — who lived in the home Yang was close to. The victim said she had been in contact with a subject she believed to be a Chase Bank representative and that she was expecting to give the individual $30,000 in cash.
According to the report, the investigation revealed Yang had a one-dollar bill he was using as a “code” to “prove” to the victim that he was the individual she was supposed to give the money to. The victim had the money in a cardboard box, covered in duct tape, as directed by Yang and his alleged accomplice, the complaint states.
The victim provided law enforcement officers with text messages that included details of the arrangements that were made after she was told she had a virus on her computer and that she needed to secure her money with them as a precaution, the file says.
Officers with the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office subsequently encountered the above-mentioned vehicle at KFC on Route 20 after Yang was dropped off near Parkway Drive. Officers identified the driver as Shaotong Chen and the vehicle to be registered to Yang.
During processing, Yang refused to sign after being fingerprinted, the police report alleges.
Upshur County Magistrate Mark Davis set bail at $1 million cash only for both men.
The potential penalty for a conviction of an attempted offense is confinement for not less than one nor more than three years, or confinement in jail for not less than six nor more than 12 months and a fine not exceeding $500.
The penalty for a conviction of financial exploitation of an elderly person is a fine of not more than $10,000 and confinement in a state correctional facility for not less than two nor more than 20 years.
Finally, the potential penalty for fraudulent schemes is confinement in a state penitentiary for not less than one nor more than 10 years, or, at the discretion of the court, confinement in jail for not more than one year and a fine of up to $2,500.
