Two Brooklyn men were sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to theft charges related to a $750,000 gold scam targeting a Granville resident.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department officials said Fei Wang and Zhi Huang must pay $750,000 in restitution to the victim as a condition of their sentence. Officials said the investigation began in April 2024 after a man reported receiving fraudulent phone calls from individuals claiming to be with the U.S. Department of Treasury.
Officials said the callers convinced the victim to close investment certificates of deposit and purchase gold to protect his finances from a supposed identity threat. Officials said a courier was promised to transport the gold to a safe location with the guarantee that the assets would be returned once the threat passed.
Officials said the victim completed three separate transactions totaling $750,000 before contacting law enforcement during a fourth attempt.
Captain Dennis Thrasher coordinated with the FBI Nashville Cyber Task Force to conduct a joint surveillance operation at the Granville home. Officials said Wang and Huang were taken into custody in October 2024 when they arrived at the residence to collect an additional $250,000 in gold.
Officials said the suspects drove from New York to Tennessee to facilitate the final pickup before the Jackson County grand jury heard the case. Officials said the 20-year sentence includes a provision that the defendants will not be eligible for parole until the full restitution is paid.
