Zhong Ren, 44, from Brooklyn, is accused of stealing more than half a million dollars in gold bars from a woman in Ephrata. He allegedly posed as a federal agent, convincing the victim to liquidate her assets due to a supposed foreign hacking threat. Ren was later arrested after evidence linked him to a similar scheme and discovered a gold bar hidden in his sock. Authorities suspect he is part of a larger international fraud network, and he remains in custody with a $550,000 bail.
Zhong Ren, a 44-year-old from Brooklyn, is charged with stealing over half a million dollars in gold bars by pretending to be a federal agent.
Investigators reported that Ren convinced a victim to falsely liquidate her assets into gold for safekeeping, claiming a Federal Reserve vault needed them.
Upon arrest in June, Ren had a gold bar in his sock and additional gold in his vehicle, linking him to further thefts.
Authorities believe the scheme may be part of a larger international fraud network, indicating a widespread deception operation.
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