New York man charged for impersonating federal agent

A man from New York City has been charged with pretending to be a federal agent. He allegedly promised to help a Chinese woman obtain a green card if she invested $500,000 with him. Instead of helping her, he kept the money and did not file the visa application as he promised. The man, named Tommy Aijie Da Silva Weng, is 49 years old and drove a red Hummer with "ICE" on its license plate. Prosecutors say he gave the victim various excuses for years about why her application was delayed. He was arrested and faces several charges, including wire fraud and impersonating a federal agent. Federal officials are holding Weng until a bail hearing scheduled for Monday. They are concerned about his connections and travel history to China. U.S. Attorney John J. Durham stated that Weng took advantage of the victim’s hope to become a U.S. citizen and stole her money and dreams. The scheme allegedly started when Weng met the woman in China in 2016. He claimed to be a federal law enforcement officer seeking investors for a hotel project in California. Later, he showed her a business card that made him appear legitimate.