Crime

Illinois man arrested for $665K scam of Escanaba man

ESCANABA -- An Illinois man has been arrested after allegedly scamming an Escanaba resident out of over a half million dollars.

34-year-old Zhong Jiang, a resident of Orland Hills, Illinois, was arraigned in the Delta County 94th District Court on Monday. Jiang faces one count of larceny by conversion -- $100,000 or more.

The charge stems from a Michigan State Police (MSP) investigation that lasted several months, according to a news release.

In July, the MSP Gladstone Post opened an investigation into a reported scam. An Escanaba man had reportedly been in conversation with Jiang, who posed as a crypto currency investor.

The Escanaba man had thought he was investing in Bitcoin. On one occasion, he reportedly met with Jiang and gave him over $500,000 in U.S. currency.

After that, an additional $165,000 in cash was mailed via FedEx to addresses out of state, according to MSP.

In total, approximately $665,000 in U.S. currency had been given or sent by the Escanaba man.

MSP said Jiang was not a legitimate investor or broker, but rather was alleged to be a scammer.

The investigation identified the suspect in the Escanaba case as Jiang, who is alleged to have committed similar crimes out of state. Police also say Jiang also had suspected connections to organized crime.

The case was sent to the Delta County Prosecutor's Office for review, who subsequently issued a felony arrest warrant.

MSP extradited Jiang from Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he was being held in jail on similar charges for alleged crimes committed in Wisconsin.

Jiang was lodged in the Delta County Jail on Thursday, Oct. 15, and his bond was set at $400,000 cash/surety, as well as a GPS tether. As of Wednesday, he remains in jail.

Jiang is due in court again on Oct. 29.

MSP was assisted by the Delta County Prosecutor's Office, Escanaba Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, Delafield (WI) Police Department, Waukesha County (WI) Sheriff's Office, and the Internal Revenue Service.

"This was great work by the detectives and troopers, along with everyone who assisted on this case," said Lt. Ben Eckola, MSP eighth district public information officer. "Unfortunately, scams like this can happen anywhere and anyone can be targeted. If you're unsure if something is legitimate, contact your local law enforcement before sending money. We're happy to talk with you, answer your questions and try to help prevent something like this from happening to you."

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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.