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Couple in savings scam plead not guilty
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Posted on Jan 09 2001
Chinese couple Lin Zu Xiu and Li Rui Yuan pled not guilty to charges of theft by deception before the Superior Court yesterday.
Superior Court Judge Virginia Onerheim found probable cause in the filing of criminal charges against the Chinese couple who allegedly duped 45 garment factory workers into depositing their money to Zhida Market in Garapan in exchange for higher interest.
Detective Jess Cepeda said the amount collected by Mr. Lin and Ms. Li from the garment workers amounted to $168,000. Twenty more garment factory workers will be filing their complaint against the couple.
Judge Onerheim ordered the couple to surrender their travel documents to prevent them from leaving the Commonwealth. A group of Chinese workers attended the preliminary hearing at the court, hoping to talk to the judge and get their money back as soon as possible.
When Mr. Lin and Ms. Li were being led out of the courtroom, the garment factory workers started shouting at them. “Where is my money?” they asked.
The court marshals had to ask them to leave the court premises before the police officers were able to take the two suspects out of the courtroom.
Garment workers from Mirage, Commonwealth and Tan Holdings deposited their money in Zhida Market after they were promised as much as $100,000 in interest every month. Some of the workers have been depositing their money as early as January 1999.
The complaint filed by three garment factory workers led to the discovery of the scam as they tried but failed to withdraw their money from the couple, now being held by police.
One of the victims told the police that she deposited $12,500 in January 1999 but she started withdrawing most of her money from the bank last year and transferred them to Zhida Market. On Aug. 17, 2000, she deposited an additional $13,000.
The court set the bail of $100,000 each for their temporary release. (Lindablue F. Romero)
