19-year-old Zhenyong Weng of New York, who pleaded guilty on Tuesday, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for his role in an attempted Gold Bar Scam targeting an elderly victim who had lost over $900,000, with prosecutors emphasizing the inadequacy of current sentencing guidelines for such crimes.
Weng was arrested in July 2024 for allegedly scamming an 82-year-old Silver Spring woman out of over $900,000 in a gold bar scheme by impersonating a government official, with his arrest occurring during an attempted collection of an additional $70,000 package.
According to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, “In the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, MD, the Honorable Sharon Burrell sentenced defendant Zhenyong Weng, 19, of New York, to ten years in prison suspending all but 18 months to serve.
Weng pleaded guilty on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, to attempted theft and conspiracy to commit theft for targeting an 82-year-old victim in an attempted Gold Bar Scam. The victim previously lost over $900,000 worth of gold bars to scammers. On July 15, 2024, officers with the Montgomery County Police Financial Crimes Section arrested Weng as he attempted to pick up an additional $75,000 worth of gold from the victim.
Assistant State’s Attorneys Hannah Gleason and Robert Hill prosecuted this case.
Statement from State’s Attorney John McCarthy: “This is an example of how woefully inadequate the Maryland State Sentencing Guidelines are in regard to the Gold Bar Scam. In this case the guidelines were probation to six months jail time. The State asked for the maximum penalty, which would have been twenty years in prison. This international organized criminal activity is targeting seniors who have a very slim chance of ever recovering their money. We are seeing victims lose their life savings.
The State finds the facts of these cases and the tactics used by the scammers very troubling. We urge the community to be vigilant.”
Important Reminders:
- Do not click on pop-up ads or threats on your computer.
- Remember that no law enforcement agent, whether Federal, State, or Local, will contact you and tell you to convert assets for safekeeping.
- Before committing to anything suspicious, contact your local law enforcement agency to verify all information.”
