Last Defendants Plead Guilty in $65 Million Cash-by-Mail Scam Ring That YouTube Scambaiters Helped Expose

Published Oct. 27, 2026. Case statuses are current as of that date.

The call usually began with a scare: a problem with a computer, a bank account or the government. It ended with an older person packing bulk cash into a box and shipping it by express mail to a stranger's name at a vacation rental. Federal prosecutors in San Diego say a network working with India-based call centers collected about $65 million from thousands of seniors this way.

On Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, the last of the 25 defendants in the case admitted their crimes, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of California announced on Oct. 26 [1]. Three other charged defendants remain fugitives.

Important: Charges are allegations. The defendants named below have pleaded guilty, according to prosecutors; any defendant who has not been convicted, including the three fugitives, is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

How the scam worked, step by step

According to court records and plea agreements, as described by prosecutors [1] [2]:

1. The call center. Scammers at India-based call centers posed as technical support agents, government officials or bank employees.
2. The "fix." Once a victim was deceived, they were told to withdraw bulk cash and hide it inside packages.
3. The shipment. Victims sent the cash by express mail carrier to names and addresses supplied by the conspirators. The names were fictitious and matched fake IDs; the addresses were short-term rentals.
4. Hub and spoke. Members booked a "hub" rental for about a week and nearby "spoke" rentals for shorter stays, then moved on and repeated the pattern.
5. Laundering. Members hid the source of the cash, used it to pay one another and covered travel costs to keep the operation running.

The investigation began in December 2020, when an elderly victim contacted an express mail carrier after being tricked into mailing cash. That led to 11 packages containing about $135,000, each addressed to a fake name at a San Diego-area short-term rental [1].

YouTube videos also played a part. "Pierogi" of the Scammer Payback channel documented his interactions with the call centers and teamed up with two YouTubers from Trilogy Media on sting operations, baiting fraudsters and confronting them on camera. Videos from 2020 and 2021 helped identify Zhiyi Zhang, Dudu Chen and Huajian Chen, prosecutors said. The release does not say whether Dudu Chen has pleaded guilty (status pending). In their plea agreements, Zhiyi Zhang and Huajian Chen admitted being in videos in which they were confronted [1] [2].

The people charged and their status

Hua Wang, 48, of Flushing, New York, described by prosecutors as the lead defendant, pleaded guilty June 30, 2026. He admitted participating from 2019 through 2023 and being responsible for more than 2,000 cash packages, each sent by an elderly victim, and $64 million in victim loss. He was arrested at his Flushing home in April 2025, days after co-defendant Weining Su, also known as "Ning Ma," 27, of Flushing, was arrested at JFK International Airport trying to board a one-way flight to China [2]. Wang and Su, who has since pleaded guilty, are set for sentencing Nov. 20, 2026 [1].

Haotian Zhang, also known as "Kevin Z," 28, of Flushing, and Zetian Zhang, 29, of Flushing, pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2026. Haotian Zhang was remanded into custody by U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson after his plea. Both are set for sentencing Jan. 29, 2027 [1].

Prosecutors said eight other defendants have pleaded guilty "over the past few months" to roles in the fraud and money laundering scheme: Guangli Lin, Cheng Li, Weining Su, Hongsen Cao, Xinyu Shao, Renchao Chen, Dexiao Lin and Zhiyi Zhang, also known as "Cream Pablo," 29, of Los Angeles. Huajian Chen and Jianhao Gao pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business [1].

Earlier, in June, prosecutors announced pleas by Xiao Lei Xu, Wen Chang Wang, Jiawen Cai, Zhuhan Yin, Wenzhi Chen, Yuhui Sun, Jiaxin Jiang, Bing Shen and Chongchong Li [2]. Bing Shen has been sentenced to 70 months, and Na Rong, in a related case, to 78 months [1].

The main charges are conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (up to 40 years) and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments (up to 20 years); the unlicensed money transmitting count carries up to five years [1]. We have not named the three fugitives because the release does not clearly identify which defendants they are. Prosecutors note that charges are accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Red flags

• A pop-up, call or email warning that your computer, bank account or Social Security number is compromised.
• Anyone telling you to withdraw cash to "protect" it, or to fix a refund, hacking or legal problem.
• Instructions to hide cash in a box, magazine or package and ship it overnight. No legitimate company or agency asks for this.
• A recipient name and address you've never heard of, often a house or apartment in another state.
• Pressure to stay on the phone or keep the matter secret.

What to do if you're targeted

1. Hang up and don't send anything. Call your bank or the agency using a number you look up yourself.
2. If you already shipped cash, call the carrier (FedEx, UPS or USPS) immediately with your tracking number; packages can sometimes be intercepted.
3. Report it to the FBI at IC3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Mail-related fraud can also be reported to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
4. Older adults and families can call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311.

Case status (as of Oct. 27, 2026)

Defendant	Court	Status	Source
Hua Wang, 48, of Flushing, N.Y. (lead defendant)	U.S. District Court, S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1097-TWR	Pleaded guilty June 30, 2026; sentencing Nov. 20, 2026	[1] [2]
Weining Su (aka "Ning Ma"), 27, of Flushing, N.Y.	S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1097-TWR	Pleaded guilty; sentencing Nov. 20, 2026	[1]
Haotian Zhang (aka "Kevin Z"), 28, of Flushing, N.Y.	S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1765-TWR	Pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2026; remanded into custody; sentencing Jan. 29, 2027	[1]
Zetian Zhang, 29, of Flushing, N.Y.	S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1765-TWR	Pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2026; sentencing Jan. 29, 2027	[1]
Zhiyi Zhang (aka "Cream Pablo"), 29, of Los Angeles	S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1765-TWR	Pleaded guilty; sentencing Feb. 19, 2027	[1]
Bing Shen, 41, of Flushing, N.Y.	S.D. Cal., 25-cr-1765-TWR	Sentenced to 70 months	[1]
Other defendants who pleaded guilty, including Huajian Chen and Jianhao Gao (money transmitting count)	S.D. Cal.	Sentencings scheduled Nov. 6, 2026, through Jan. 22, 2027	[1]
Three unnamed fugitives	S.D. Cal.	At large (status pending)	[1]

Those not convicted are presumed innocent. Statuses can change.

Sources

1. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, "Final Defendants Plead Guilty in $65 Million Multinational Fraud Ring Targeting Thousands of Seniors," Press Release No. CAS26-1026-Zhang, Oct. 26, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/final-defendants-plead-guilty-65-million-multinational-fraud-ring-targeting-thousands
2. U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California, "Lead Defendant and 10 Others Plead Guilty in $65 Million Multinational Fraud Ring Targeting Thousands of Seniors," Press Release No. CAS26-0630-Wang, June 30, 2026. https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/lead-defendant-and-10-others-plead-guilty-65-million-multinational-fraud-ring

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