Chao Zheng, 30, of Monterey, California, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and ordered to pay $325,000 in restitution for his role in an internet scam that defrauded a Lawrence County couple out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Zheng, a Chinese national, pleaded guilty in February to one felony count of Aiding and Abetting Grand Theft by Deception involving amounts over $100,000 but less than $500,000. He now also faces the possibility of deportation after serving his prison term.
The scam unfolded between July 26 and August 23, 2024, when the victims began receiving alarming pop-up messages on their laptop, allegedly from “Microsoft Security.” They were instructed to call a so-called fraud investigator at their bank, who claimed their accounts were linked to criminal activity and demanded payments to “clear their names.”
The couple was deceived into sending money three times, believing they were paying legal fees and penalties. Zheng was arrested on August 23, 2024, while attempting to collect a fourth payment in person.
“The courage of the victims and the diligence of investigators brought justice in this case,” said South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley. “We urge all consumers to ignore suspicious online messages and instead contact law enforcement or someone they trust.”
The exact total of the stolen amount is still under investigation.
The case was led by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, with prosecution handled by the Attorney General’s Office and Lawrence County State’s Attorney’s Office.
