Jianjie Liu, a Chinese national arrested in Georgia in 2019, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, amid an indictment that included money laundering conspiracy, nine counts of money laundering, and access device fraud charges.
According to a release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Liu targeted victims in several states, raking in more than $150,000 in various schemes.
“Liu laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars from schemes that bilked elderly victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “Telephone scams regularly victimize the elderly, and Liu played a pivotal role, receiving money directly from the victims.”
One victim, a priest in Minnesota, was scammed online when Liu pretended to work with an internet security company, offering a rebate to the priest. However, in order to receive the rebate, the priest allowed Liu access to his bank account. When that happened, Liu utilized the opportunity to seize more money.
“The scammer pretended to mistakenly deposit $20,555 into the priest’s account. He asked the priest to return $20,000 by sending a $20,000 check to a bank account that Liu controlled,” the DOJ explained.
In each scam, the individual targeted elderly individuals.
Furthermore, after being indicted, the scammer fled the country and was apprehended at the border.
“This guilty plea demonstrates that my office will continue to pursue perpetrators of these malicious Social Security-related scams that prey upon unsuspecting people, especially the elderly, to deprive them of their assets and resources,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I thank the Duluth Police Department for their assistance in this investigation and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case.”
After pleading guilty before U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross, Liu is scheduled to be sentenced on June 16, 2022.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Georgia Star News and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
