Packages Of Cash Sent To Abandoned House Revealed A Multi-State Scam Case

ORANGE TOWN, NY — A package sent to an unoccupied Hudson Valley home helped uncover a multi-state fraud operation targeting seniors, according to police.

Two men were arrested in Tappan after Orangetown police said detectives linked three cash-filled packages delivered to a vacant residence to separate scams involving victims in Utah, Illinois and Colorado.

According to the Orangetown Police Department, the case began on Wednesday when the department received a call from a man in Utah who said his wife may have been scammed out of $6,700 through a bank con. Investigators said a package containing cash from that scam was set to be delivered by UPS to a vacant residence in Tappan.

Police said Orangetown detectives watched the residence and saw two men retrieve three packages from the property. The two suspects were stopped, and cops say those three packages were tied to three separate scams.

One package contained $6,700 in cash connected to the bank account scam reported from Utah, according to police. A second package contained $12,500 in cash tied to a computer virus scam from Illinois, investigators say. A third package contained $24,500 in cash tied to what police described as an FBI identity theft scam from Colorado.

Police identified the men arrested as Tian Quan Xie, 20, of Brooklyn, and Wei Ping Sun, 39, of Queens. Both were charged with grand larceny and felony criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The two suspects were arraigned in Orangetown Justice Court and released with a return date of May 18.

The Orangetown Police Department said its Detective Bureau also received assistance from the Rockland County Intel Unit during the investigation.

"Great job by Orangetown Police Department," Orangetown Supervisor Teresa Kenny said of the police operation. "Elder financial fraud is now affecting one in five older adults and is causing billions in annual losses. Common scams include grandparent, romance, and government impersonation, often targeting seniors' trust. Please, speak to your parents, grandparents and other seniors you know to remind them of the risks."