Scranton Reporter

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has announced the indictment of two men from Staten Island, New York. Sun Tong Lin, 37, and Xueliang Chen, 36, were indicted by a federal grand jury on December 17, 2024. The charges include wire fraud and conspiracy.

United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam explained that the indictment accuses Lin and Chen of participating in a scheme during June and July of 2024. The scheme involved deceiving victims into believing their online or bank accounts were insecure. Victims were then persuaded to withdraw significant amounts of cash and hand it over to an agent under the pretense of safekeeping. Instead, the money was stolen. Many victims targeted by this scheme were elderly individuals.

The indictment claims that approximately $288,000 was stolen from at least nine victims, with an additional attempt to steal $50,000 from a victim in Tioga County.

The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni is handling the prosecution.

If convicted under federal law, Lin and Chen could face up to 40 years in prison along with supervised release after imprisonment and fines. Sentencing will be determined by a judge based on federal sentencing statutes and guidelines.

It is important to note that indictments are merely allegations at this stage; all charged individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.