Federal immigration agents have arrested several Chinese nationals accused of carrying out elaborate financial scams that targeted elderly residents in upstate New York, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
One of the suspects, Jian Chen, was taken into custody on July 8 after allegedly stealing $42,000 from a 63-year-old retiree in the village of Potsdam, near the Canadian border. ICE officials say Chen had arranged a second meeting with the victim to try and collect another $98,000 before being apprehended.
“It takes a real dirtbag to prey on our most vulnerable community members,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Deputy Field Office Director Joseph Freden. “We remain committed to the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our communities and the integrity of our laws.”
Another suspect, Rihui Yan, was arrested in Massena after allegedly attempting to scam a senior couple out of $20,000. He is also wanted in Wyoming County for a similar incident, officials said.
ICE also confirmed the arrest of Hui Chen in October 2024 after a fraud tip from the Ticonderoga Police Department. Chen was charged with grand larceny and conspiracy for trying to defraud an elderly New Yorker of $40,000.
“We will never stand idly by while bad actors – in this case, illegally present Chinese nationals – target innocent New Yorkers for their own selfish gain,” said Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Buffalo. “Every day, we are unwaveringly committed to protecting our neighborhoods and individuals’ livelihoods.”
The arrests are part of a broader crackdown by federal authorities on individuals living in the U.S. without legal status who are accused of criminal behavior. According to ICE, Chinese nationals have increasingly entered the U.S. via the southern border, with many being released into the country under the Biden administration. The Trump administration has since revived efforts to deport criminal offenders, emphasizing the removal of those deemed the “worst of the worst.”
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