Imposter In $789K Gold Bar Scam Charged In MD: Police

GAITHERSBURG, MD — A 39-year-old California man was recently arrested in Montgomery County after authorities say he scammed a woman out of $789,000 worth of gold bars.

Wenhui Sun, of Lake Arbor, posed this month as a member of the Office of the Inspector General – Federal Trade Commission, the Montgomery County Police Department said Friday.

Sun was accused of telling the woman she had been the victim of an identity theft that led to a federal investigation involving drugs and money laundering, police said.

He was then accused of directing the woman to transfer her assets, worth $789,000, into two gold bars. Police said Sun told her the bars would retrieved by a courier who was an FBI agent, and who would take the bars to the U.S. Department of Treasury for safekeeping.

The woman complied with the instructions she was given, police said.

"Through the course of the investigation, detectives were able to identify Sun as the courier of the second delivery of gold bars," police said in a news release.

Sun was arrested around 7 p.m. Monday in Montgomery County and was taken to jail, where he was charged and is being held without bond, police said.

"Detectives believe there may be additional victims and want to remind the community that law enforcement will never attempt to contact you in this manner," police said in the release.

Anyone with information about Sun or this crime is asked to report it via the Crime Solvers of Montgomery County, MD website at www.crimesolversmcmd.org and click on the www.p3tips.com link at the top of the page or call 1-866-411-8477.

A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. Tips may remain anonymous.