Canadian citizen arrested for multi-state fraud, scamming the elderly

CHARLESTOWN, Ind. (WISH) — A Canadian citizen in the U.S. has been arrested for a multi-state fraud scheme where, police say, he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars by targeting elderly residents from Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Ohio and Tennessee.

Monday, the Charlestown Police Department announced they arrested Jia Hua Liu, 36, from Canada, in connection to the scheme. Liu entered the U.S. in April.

Charlestown police say May 5, an elderly resident was tricked into withdrawing $27,000 from his retirement account and giving it to a man who came to his home. Police say that man was Liu.

During the investigation, police found three more elderly individuals from Indiana, Kentucky, and Michigan who almost fell for the scam. “In these cases, concerned family members intervened just in time, preventing an additional $70,000 in potential losses,” the Charlestown Police Department wrote in a press release.

Across state lines, the investigation connected Liu to fraud cases totaling over $309,000 in losses.

July 2, Liu was found at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. Before he could get on a departing flight, Liu was arrested by police.

Inside Liu’s luggage and vehicle was a “large amount of cash.” Twenty search warrants and five subpoenas, and an ongoing investigation, uncovered that Liu stole over $400,000.

Liu faces five felony charges including theft, money laundering, and criminal organization activity. The Charlestown Police Department did not say which fraud schemes Liu used to target people nor why he is charged for criminal organization activity.

“This arrest is the result of tireless work by our detectives and strong cooperation between agencies,” Charlestown Police Chief Eric Kruse wrote in the press release. “We’re committed to protecting our elderly community members and bringing those who prey on them to justice.”

If you or someone you know has been targeted by a similar scam, you’re asked to call the police immediately. The Charlestown Police Department says “we know there are additional victims out there; likely in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. We want to identify these victims and help them receive justice.”

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