Chinese Citizen Sentenced for Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property

ALBANY, NEW YORK – Wu Feng Zhang, age 54, a Chinese citizen residing in the Town of Colonie, New York, was sentenced yesterday to 25 months in prison for transporting stolen property across state lines. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.

As part of his prior guilty plea, Zheng admitted that between June and December 2022, he stole merchandise from home improvement stores in various states, including in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and New York, and transported those stolen items to his residence in Colonie. On January 11, 2023, HSI searched his residence and found about $100,000 in merchandise stolen from home improvement stores.

Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release, ordered Zhang to pay $296,881.92 in restitution to the two home improvement store chains from which he stole, and ordered forfeiture of $3,257.76 seized from two bank accounts.

HSI, with assistance from Colonie Police Department, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office, and the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.