An inmate previously convicted in a high-profile Montgomery County gold bar scam has died while in state custody, according to Maryland State Police.
State police are investigating the death of Wenhui Sun, 36, who was incarcerated at the Maryland Correctional and Training Center in Hagerstown. Sun was pronounced deceased by emergency medical services personnel after being taken to the facility’s medical unit.
Maryland State Police said investigators were notified around 3 p.m. on Dec. 16 by the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services Internal Investigative Unit following an inmate death. Preliminary findings indicate there was an altercation involving three inmates, one of whom was Sun. Two other inmates have been identified as suspects but have not yet been named, pending potential charges.
Troopers from the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit responded to the facility, along with crime scene technicians from the Forensic Sciences Division, to process the scene and collect evidence. The investigation remains active and ongoing and will be presented to the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office for review once complete.
Sun was serving a sentence related to a major fraud case prosecuted in Montgomery County. As previously reported, in March 2025, Sun was sentenced in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County to 20 years in prison, with all but 6.5 years suspended, followed by five years of supervised probation. He was also ordered to pay $457,410.34 in restitution.
In October 2024, Sun pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including theft scheme over $100,000, theft over $100,000, attempted theft over $100,000, and conspiracy to commit theft over $100,000. Prosecutors said Sun participated in an international organized crime operation that defrauded an elderly woman living in the Leisure World community of Silver Spring out of nearly $800,000, much of it in gold bars. Authorities said the scheme sought to steal more than $1.1 million in total.
No additional details about the altercation or potential charges have been released at this time.
