Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Conspiracy to Defraud Elderly Victims

WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Yankun Jiang, age 26, of State College, PA; Hanlin Yang, age 26, of State College, PA; and Lei Bao, age 24, of New York, were sentenced for their roles in a wide-scale computer "pop-up" scam targeting elderly victims falsely claiming that their computer or bank accounts had been compromised. Members of the conspiracy traveled to victims' homes and posed as federal law enforcement officers to collect large sums of cash from the victims claiming that the assets would be protected, among other falsehoods. More than 50 victims across 19 states were defrauded of more than $10,000,000.

On October 20, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann sentenced Lei Bao to 30 months' imprisonment and ordered her to pay $377,591 in restitution to victims. Bao acted as a courier in the conspiracy, making several cash pick-ups from victims. On at least five occasions, Bao also transported suitcases filled with stolen cash from Philadelphia, PA to Los Angeles, CA in order to deliver the cash to other members of the conspiracy.

On October 22, 2026, Judge Brann sentenced Yankun Jiang to 84 months' imprisonment and ordered him to pay $1,267,122 in restitution to victims. Jiang was a courier in the conspiracy who ultimately became a key supervisor of the couriers. Jiang collected stolen cash from other couriers in the conspiracy, packaged the accumulated cash, and coordinated the delivery of the cash to other members of the conspiracy in Los Angeles, CA.

On October 23, 2026, Judge Brann sentenced Hanlin Yang to 24 months' imprisonment and ordered him to pay $400,800 in restitution to victims. Yang acted as a courier in the conspiracy, traveling to the homes of at least six victims to pick up cash.

"These scammers targeted and financially exploited the most vulnerable individuals in our society," said U.S. Attorney Miller. "These sentences reflect our office's commitment to protecting elderly victims and prosecuting them to the full extent of the law."

"These defendants took advantage of older Americans' trust and fears, causing significant financial losses and lasting emotional harm to victims across the country," said HSI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel. "Fraud schemes like this do more than steal money; they can undermine a victim's sense of security and confidence. HSI Philadelphia remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and hold accountable those who prey on vulnerable members of our communities."

"Fraud targeting our older population has devastating consequences, threatening not just their financial stability, but also their sense of security," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. "The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to investigate complex financial crimes, protect older Americans from financial exploration, and bring those responsible to justice."

The FBI Philadelphia's State College Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Lloyd is prosecuting the case.

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