Two New York men were convicted in Carroll County Circuit Court for their role in the attempted scam of a Finksburg woman in 2023, according to a news release from the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office.
The men, Xiang Liu, 31, Hongdong Liu, 29, were convicted of attempted theft $1,500 to $25,000, and participating in a criminal organization, during a jury trial. The jury found them not guilty of a theft scheme $25,000 to $100,000.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 15. Participating in a criminal organization is a felony that carries a maximum penalty of incarceration up to 15 years and/or fines up to $1 million. Attempted theft is a misdemeanor with a maximum penalty of incarceration up to five years and/or fines up to $10,000.
Both men are citizens of the People’s Republic of China who had been living separately in New York at the time of their arrests. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer has been lodged for both.
They were charged with targeting a 62-year-old Finksburg woman in a scam, and were arrested in a sting operation after they showed up at the victim’s house in November. The woman began receiving fraudulent emails, texts and calls from a person claiming to represent PayPal in October, and was convinced to withdraw cash several times to cover an error with her account. The scammer then arranged for a courier to pick up the cash, which she was instructed to place in a wrapped and taped cardboard box, according to charging documents.
After the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office got involved, deputies asked the victim to set up another transfer at her Finksburg home, where deputies from Patrol Operations and Investigative Services were waiting. The two suspects arrived in a car and parked in the victim’s driveway, according to the sheriff’s office, and were arrested after attempting to collect the money.
Xiang Liu had been living with his aunt in Brooklyn, New York for five years, according to his responses to an initial appearance questionnaire. He is unemployed, single, and the father of two dependent children. He previously worked at a restaurant for two years and was born in China, according to the document.
Hongdong Liu lived in China for 28 years and in Flushing, New York for two months before his arrest, according to his responses to an initial court appearance questionnaire. He is married, though had been living in a boarding house in Flushing. He was born in China and is not a Maryland resident, according to the court document.
The case was prosecuted by Melissa Hockensmith, deputy state’s attorney with Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office. Jennifer Kafes, with the Law Offices of James Crawford, defended Hongdong Liu, while Bradley Bauhof served as defense attorney for Xiang Liu.
According to the sheriff’s office, people should be skeptical of any unexpected email, text or call asking for money. Anyone who receives such a message can contact the company through other means to confirm the legitimacy of the request before withdrawing money, even if the message seems to be legitimate. Additional fraud prevention tips can be found at: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-avoid-scam.
“Far too many Carroll Countians fall victim to scammers,” Carroll County State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker said in a news release announcing the convictions.
