The Mercer County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a California man accused of taking part in a multi-state scam that targeted elderly victims, including a 78-year-old Princeton resident.
According to investigators, the case began when the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Office in Michigan notified Mercer County authorities on December 10, 2025, about an active fraud operation. The scam involved suspects directing elderly victims to withdraw large amounts of cash, package it, and then hand it over to couriers posing as legitimate agents.
Michigan authorities had already arrested several suspects connected to the scheme and learned that a Mercer County woman was also being targeted.
Deputies quickly located the potential victim and warned her about the scam. Later that same day, investigators received information that a suspect was traveling to Princeton to pick up a package of cash from the woman’s home.
Deputies set up surveillance and watched as Li Wei, 30, of California, retrieved the package. Wei was stopped shortly after leaving the residence and arrested without incident. Investigators recovered a box containing cash and other evidence believed to be tied to the fraud operation.
Wei was taken to the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, arraigned by Magistrate Compton, and transported to the Southern Regional Jail. His bond was set at $100,000.
The case remains under investigation with assistance from law enforcement agencies in Michigan, other states, and federal authorities. Officials say additional arrests or charges may follow.
Sheriff A.P. Christian urged residents to stay alert to scams that pressure people to withdraw or mail cash, noting that legitimate agencies will never demand cash payments or insist on secrecy.
Anyone with information about similar scams 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 with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov.