Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido has announced that 28-year old Guodong Wu pleaded guilty for his role in a sophisticated fraud scheme that targeted a Macomb County senior, resulting in the theft of $80,000 from the victim.
The victim was contacted by a scammer who falsely claimed that money was being laundered from her USAA bank account. She was instructed to withdraw her savings and turn the cash over to a courier who claimed it would be placed in a secure location.
Last?Oct. 28, the victim withdrew $30,000 and met the courier in the parking lot of a Fraser Huntington Bank. The following day, the victim withdrew an additional $50,000 and handed it over during a second meeting at a Fraser Starbucks.
The investigation received a break when authorities in another Michigan jurisdiction arrested a suspect involved in a separate fraud scheme.
Evidence recovered during that investigation connected Wu to the Macomb County case. Surveillance video from both exchanges identified the courier as Wu and he was identified in a photo lineup.
In April, Wu pled guilty to False Pretenses - $200 or More But Less Than $1,000, a one-year misdemeanor before Judge James M. Maceroni of the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Last Tuesday, Maceroni sentenced Wu to 116 days with 116 days of credit for time served. In addition to fines and costs, as part of the resolution of the case, the victim received full restitution of the $80,000 lost through the fraud.
Wu is a Chinese national and is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The victim was contacted by a scammer who falsely claimed that money was being laundered from her USAA bank account. She was instructed to withdraw her savings and turn the cash over to a courier who claimed it would be placed in a secure location.
Last?Oct. 28, the victim withdrew $30,000 and met the courier in the parking lot of a Fraser Huntington Bank. The following day, the victim withdrew an additional $50,000 and handed it over during a second meeting at a Fraser Starbucks.
The investigation received a break when authorities in another Michigan jurisdiction arrested a suspect involved in a separate fraud scheme.
Evidence recovered during that investigation connected Wu to the Macomb County case. Surveillance video from both exchanges identified the courier as Wu and he was identified in a photo lineup.
In April, Wu pled guilty to False Pretenses - $200 or More But Less Than $1,000, a one-year misdemeanor before Judge James M. Maceroni of the Macomb County Circuit Court.
Last Tuesday, Maceroni sentenced Wu to 116 days with 116 days of credit for time served. In addition to fines and costs, as part of the resolution of the case, the victim received full restitution of the $80,000 lost through the fraud.
Wu is a Chinese national and is currently in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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