A man was indicted on several charges after being accused of scamming a Licking County man out of $27,000 and returning to try to collect more, according to court documents. Licking County Common Pleas Court records state that 42-year-old Liwei Zhang was indicted on theft, identity fraud and telecommunications fraud charges. The charges also carry a forfeiture specification, requiring Zhang to forfeit thousands of dollars and a vehicle. Zhang was arrested earlier this month during a sting operation, but was released after posting bond last week. His arraignment is set for June 10. Investigators said the scam began on May 9, when 67-year-old Robert Wise received a text claiming his Apple ID account had been compromised. Wise told deputies he received a text message about an Apple ID purchase on his account for $213. The message reportedly had a number to call to report as fraudulent. He called the number and spoke with a person who identified himself as "John Cooper." The man told Wise that the charges totaled $27,000 and that he needed to pay or risk losing all his money. Wise withdrew money from his bank account and attempted to deposit the funds into a Bitcoin machine at Indian Mound Mall in Heath. After he failed to complete the transaction, "Cooper" reportedly said he would send someone to Wise's house. A white sedan arrived at Wise's house and funds were exchanged. After Zhang was arrested, records say he told authorities he was not a United States citizen, but he was living in Dublin on a Visa granted for business purposes only. Zhang said he was a middleman receiving money and "felt that he was doing this revolving criminal activity." Licking County Prosecutor Jenny Wells said the suspect admitted this was not the first time he’s been involved in this type of scheme. https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/liwei-zhang-indicted-scam-licking-county-man/530-896ba777-38bf-47e8-be71-d676fd78d0cb