LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) - A man arrested in connection with an online scam appeared in Lima Municipal Court Wednesday.
33-year-old Xianchun Li of Flushing, New York, waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Li was arrested on July 29 in a sting operation conducted by the Allen County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. He was apprehended during the operation and booked into the Allen County Jail on charges of attempted theft of a protected person. The prosecution believes he is part of a larger organization of scammers.
“He landed in Columbus the morning of this operation with a scheduled flight to depart the same day. His flight logs show numerous flights across the country. He appears to be part of a larger scheme in terms of fraudulent transactions here and frauding individuals,” said Prosecutor Joseph Everhart, assistant prosecutor, Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.
Li is a Chinese national and appeared in court with the assistance of a Mandarin interpreter. His case has been bound over to Common Pleas Court for further proceedings.
