Fraud-related charges involving a scheme by two men to steal $683,000 in gold from an elderly woman who is a resident at a Lehigh County senior living facility were addressed this week in magisterial district court.

Jiwan Chen, 57, no current address, and Tianhang Zhou, 61, of New York, were charged with felony counts of financial exploitation of an older adult or care dependent person; criminal use of a communication facility; theft by unlawful taking; theft by deception; receiving stolen property; and conspiracy to commit theft by unlawful taking; conspiracy to theft by deception; conspiracy to commit receiving stolen property; conspiracy to criminal use of a communication facility; and conspiracy to commit financial exploitation of and older adult.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan initially reported the defendants waived the charges to county court and were scheduled for preliminary arraignments at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 16 before Judge Robert L. Steinberg. Later, his office reported the charges against Zhou were dismissed at a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Karen Devine, but said the charges will be refiled at a later date.

Both men had been held in the Lehigh County Prison, Allentown, under $500,000 bail each.

The district attorney said that on June 30, South Whitehall Township Police Detective Tyler Doherty was called to a Luther Crest Senior Living, 800 Hausman Road, for a possible fraud involving an elderly resident. He said Doherty met with a relative of the woman, whose name will not be released to protect her identity.

Holihan said she is a 78-year-old who told investigators that several weeks before talking with police she was contacted by unknown individuals who claimed to represent “American Bank.” The individuals falsely told the victim her identity and Social Security number had been compromised and she needed to transfer her assets into a newly acquired account.

The woman told police said she attempted several times to make wire transfers at their direction, but her financial institution rejected most of those attempts after determining the newly acquired account was invalid. She said the individuals then directed her to instead purchase gold bullion.

The victim said that after purchasing the bullion she was directed to package it in a specific manner and meet at specific locations once an “officer” was close to the Allentown area. The victim said she made four separate deliveries following the directions of the unknown individuals and surrendered $550,000 in gold to various couriers.

Holihan said police learned the woman was scheduled to purchase and deliver $133,000 in gold on July 1. While under surveillance by township police officers, the victim delivered the gold to a man later identified as Chen outside the senior living facility. At the same time, officers spotted a vehicle driven by Zhou in the same area where the gold was set to be delivered. The investigation later determined that Zhou and Chen worked together to perpetrate the scheme to obtain gold from the woman.

The case was investigated by Doherty and is being prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Ramma R. Mineo with the District Attorney’s Elder Abuse Task Force.

Holihan said the Elder Abuse Task Force operates countywide to address allegations of elder abuse, whether it is physical, emotional or financial. The task force can be reached through any local law enforcement agency or at 610-782-3700.