MERCER COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a California man accused of participating in a multi-state fraud scheme that targeted elderly victims, including a 78-year-old Princeton resident.
The investigation began after the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan notified Mercer County authorities on December 10, 2025, about an ongoing scam involving suspects who directed elderly victims to withdraw large sums of cash, package it, and hand it over to couriers.
Michigan investigators had recently arrested several individuals connected to the scheme and learned that a Mercer County resident was also being targeted.
Deputies located the potential victim and warned her about the suspected fraud. Later the same day, authorities received word that a suspect was traveling to Princeton to retrieve a package of cash from the woman’s home.
Investigators set up surveillance and watched as Li Wei, 30, of California, retrieved the package from the residence. Wei was stopped a short time later and arrested without incident.
Deputies recovered a box containing cash and other evidence believed to be connected to the scheme.
Wei was taken to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, arraigned by Magistrate Compton, and jailed at the Southern Regional Jail on a $100,000 bond.
The case remains under investigation with assistance from law enforcement agencies in Michigan and other states, as well as federal authorities. Additional charges or arrests may follow.
Sheriff A.P. Christian urged residents to remain alert to scams that pressure people to withdraw or mail cash. He emphasized that legitimate agencies will never demand cash payments or require secrecy.
Anyone with information about similar schemes is asked to contact the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office at 304-487-8364 or the West Virginia State Police.
Fraud reports can also be filed through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
