The Colleyville Police Department said it had arrested three people connected to a money laundering ring that scammed victims of over $3 million.
According to authorities, Colleyville Police Department officers, the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Secret Service arrested 56-year-old Ke Xu and 67-year-old Robert J. Lang on January 31.
Colleyville police arrested Xu and Lang, both from Texas, on charges of Theft from the Elderly, Engaging in Organized Crime, Money Laundering, and Exploitation of the Elderly.
According to Colleyville police, the department received a report from a resident who had been deceived into buying gift cards worth thousands of dollars after being told they owed money for a Norton Antivirus scan.
With assistance from Walmart Global Investigations, authorities launched an investigation that developed into other gift card scams involving victims across the country. During investigations, officers discovered that the funds were being transferred to China.
Investigations showed that the suspects redeemed the cards within four minutes of purchasing them to prevent the victims from canceling them.
During the investigation, authorities identified an Asian Money Laundering Ring with several suspects who scammed their victims of over $3 million.
Authorities also arrested 28-year-old Lin Qiu on September 9, 2021, for the alleged money laundering scheme. Colleyville police did not reveal how she was connected.
Following the arrest of Xu and Lang, authorities confiscated more than $681,000 in alleged scammed gift cards.
Colleyville police revealed that Qiu is being held in the Tarrant County Jail on a $250,000 bond, with Xu and Lang held in the same jail on a $2 million bond each.
“These arrests are a small victory in a complex investigation that has targeted a large portion of the population, including many elderly victims,” Colleyville Police Chief Michael C. Miller said. “The work this team has done over the last year to track down these suspects is not only incredible but is a true testament to their service to our communities and to the partnerships we continue to cultivate.”
Colleyville police urge residents to hang up or ignore messages from any company asking to get paid in gift cards. Police added that scammers use them as a money laundering payment method because they are difficult to trace.
