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A California man, Bo Zhao, was sentenced to two years of conditional discharge on Thursday after admitting to scamming a Crystal Lake woman out of $30,000. Zhao, 52, pleaded guilty to theft charges in McHenry County court, with an additional charge of wire fraud and theft being dismissed.
The case involved Zhao using false pretenses to gain control over $30,000, including $20,000 in bitcoin. Prosecutors stated that Zhao deposited the stolen funds into a Chinese bank account. The crime occurred between April 18 and April 20, 2023, during which the woman’s Social Security benefits were compromised.
Zhao is required to pay the full amount back to the victim as part of the sentencing.
