Long Island man charged in $3 million theft from missing couple fails to appear at federal arraignment
Arrest warrant issued as investigators press on with case tied to the couple who disappeared from Old Brookville
A Long Island man charged with stealing nearly $3 million from a missing couple did not appear for his federal court arraignment Monday, and federal authorities issued an arrest warrant for his arrest. Yinye “Roy” Wang, 36, is charged with bank fraud in a scheme that prosecutors say drained the bank accounts of Paishuan Fan, 48, and his wife, Juanjuan Zwang, 44, who vanished from their Old Brookville home on April 2. Wang’s co-defendant, Quiju Wu, 55, of Queens, appeared in court as scheduled, while Wang remained at large, according to U.S. District Court in Central Islip. Judge James M. Wicks noted that an arrest would be arranged if Wang is located.
Fan and Zwang bought a $3.8 million mansion with cash after emigrating from China in 2022. Following their disappearance, prosecutors say their accounts were raided, with hundreds of thousands of dollars withdrawn or transferred to other accounts between July and August. In total, about $2.8 million was allegedly stolen. Court documents show that Fan and Zwang were added to Wu’s account at one point, listed as “joint with rights of survivorship.”
Authorities say Wu was captured on security cameras inside two Queens banks where some of the transactions occurred, and Wang — who has a reported history of identity theft — is said to have joined her at least once. Wu was arrested in Texas earlier this month and appeared in the Long Island federal courtroom Monday, still in federal immigration custody. Wang was arrested in California and released on bond pending his Monday court appearance. Wang’s attorney, Felipe Garcia, told the judge that he last heard from his client about a week earlier, and that Wang had claimed he could not board a plane to New York because he lacked a passport or a Real ID essential for domestic flights. He said Wang planned to drive cross-country instead.
Beyond the bank-fraud charges, the investigation into Fan and Zwang’s disappearance remains active in Nassau County. Authorities have not filed charges related to the couple’s whereabouts. Prosecutors and investigators have not disclosed a theory about what happened to the pair, who dined with their two sons, ages 12 and 20, and several of the younger child’s friends the night before they were said to travel to the Catskills the following morning. The case has drawn interest from multiple agencies as investigators continue to review financial activity tied to the couple’s accounts and track down potential additional victims or accomplices.
The proceeding underscored the complexity of the case, in which prosecutors say millions were moved through accounts tied to Fan and Zwang’s assets before their disappearance. The investigation is being conducted by Nassau County police in coordination with federal authorities. Court records indicate Wu remains in federal custody, while Wang faces a separate federal case that is unresolved pending his apprehension. The next steps in the case will hinge on whether Wang can be located and brought before a judge to answer to the charges.