Xianjin Yang, 28, was charged with fraudulent schemes, attempting to commit financial exploitation of an elderly person, two counts of obstructing an officer and failure to fingerprint. He is being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $1 million bond.

Chen Shaotong, 21, was charged with fraudulent schemes and attempting to commit financial exploitation of an elderly person. He is being held in Tygart Valley Regional Jail on a $1 million bond.

According to the criminal complaint, written by Trooper C.C. Jones of the Buckhannon detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on March 8, officers responded to Parkway Drive in Buckhannon in reference to a suspicious vehicle with New York registration. Officers were advised multiple people had exited the vehicle and begun walking around the area.

Officers came in contact with Yang, dressed in dark clothing, who began to run in the opposite direction, the complaint states. Officers ordered him to show his hands and get on his knees, but he did not comply.

Chen

“Yang threw money and another unknown item away from him, prior to officers placing (him) in hand restraints,” the complaint reads.

Officers spoke with a 72-year-old woman who lives on Parkway Drive, according to the complaint. She said she was in contract with a man she believed to be with Chase Bank, who she had been told to give $30,000 in cash.

The woman had the money in a cardboard box, covered in duct tape, as she said she had been instructed, the complaint states. She showed police text messages telling her that she had a virus on her computer and that she needed to “secure her money with them as a precaution.”

“Yang had on his person a $1 bill he was using as a code to give to (the elderly woman) to ‘prove’ he was the one she was supposed to give the money to,” the complaint reads.

Upshur County Sheriff’s Office officers came in contact with the “suspicious vehicle” after Yang had been dropped off near Parkway Drive, according to the complaint. Officers identified Chen as the driver and said the vehicle was registered to Yang.

“During processing, Mr. Yang and Mr. Chen attempted to communicate in a foreign language,” the complaint states. Also during processing, Yang “refused to sign after being fingerprinted.”