Federal judge issues arrest warrant for defendant charged with stealing millions from missing couple from Old Brookville

A federal judge on Monday issued an arrest warrant for a Long Island man who authorities said stole more than $2.8 million from the bank accounts of a couple who disappeared from their Old Brookville mansion earlier this year after the defendant skipped out on his court date.

Yinye Wang, also known as "Roy Wang," 36, of Roslyn and College Point, Queens, failed to show up at his scheduled initial appearance in federal court in Central Islip on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and has ceased contact with his lawyer.

"I've signed the arrest warrant and once he's apprehended, we'll arraign him," said U.S. Magistrate Judge James M. Wicks, who added that the warrant was "definitely warranted in this case."

Wang's defense attorney, Felipe Garcia, told Wicks that his client, who was arrested on Sept. 4 in California and released on a $50,000 bond that was secured by a friend, tried unsuccessfully to board a flight to New York last week. He was unable to get on a commercial aircraft because he didn't have his passport or a REAL ID, a federally mandated driver's license or identification card that is now required to board domestic flights, Garcia said.

Garcia said he last spoke to Wang a week ago, when the defendant told him he was going to drive cross-country to make his court date. His previously scheduled court date last Tuesday was rescheduled after the flight issue.

Garcia said despite "numerous attempts to contact him via email" and calls to his cellphone, he "hasn't received a response." Garcia also told the judge he hasn't had any communication with his client's family.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Wenzel, who appeared in court alongside Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Scahill, requested the judge issue the warrant.

Wang's co-defendant, Qiuju Wu, 55, of Flushing, Queens, was arrested in Texas and charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and was ordered held on an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer, as she is in the United States illegally, authorities have said.

Wu, during a brief court appearance in which she spoke through a Mandarin interpreter, pleaded not guilty and proclaimed to the judge without explanation when she was being asked if she needed more time to speak privately with her attorney: "I was also tricked."

Wu, wearing beige prison garb and her long hair in a single braid, clasped her hands together as if in prayer and bowed her head to the judge just before she was led from the courtroom by U.S. marshals at the conclusion of the hearing.

Wicks ordered Wu detained without bond after the prosecutor, Wenzel, said she was boarding a flight to Hong Kong at the time of her arrest. Wenzel also said her residence and employment information were "unverifiable."

A representative from pretrial services, who did not state her name in court, told the judge that Wu has a husband in the United States but has no other family ties.

Wicks said all of those factors created a "significant flight risk."

Wu's defense attorney, Louis Klein, declined to comment after court.

The complaint charging Wu and Wang didn't name the missing couple — they are referred to only as "Victim-1" and "Victim-2" — but the facts match the disappearance of JuanJuan Zwang and her husband, Peishuan Fan, who were last seen at their Old Brookville mansion on Maria Lane on March 30.

Just three months later on June 29, federal prosecutors said, the bank account belonging to one of the victims was changed from an individual account to a "joint with rights of survivorship" account and then a series of transfers took place: $1 million was transferred from the bank account of "Victim-1” to Wu’s bank account, the complaint said. Then $500,000 was transferred from the same victim’s account to Wu’s, prosecutors said.

And on that same day, $190,000 was transferred from Wu’s account to another bank account controlled by Wu. And minutes later, $700,000 was withdrawn from Wu’s bank account, prosecutors said.

On July 2, "Victim-2's” bank account also was changed from an individual owner to a "joint with rights of survivorship" account and then a series of transfers and withdrawals commenced — $860,000; $418,500; $630,000; and $435,000, prosecutors said.

Authorities did not say how Wang and Wu know each other. Wu's lawyer said Wang is not her husband.

Fan, 48, a business owner, and Zwang, 44, a stay-at-home mother, moved to the United States in 2022, Newsday has reported.

They lived in Jersey City initially and then purchased the Old Brookville mansion on Maria Lane in 2023 for $3.8 million, paying in cash, Newsday has reported.

The couple's sons — ages 20 and 12 — stayed in Old Brookville after their parents went missing, but have since moved back to China, an attorney for the older son previously told Newsday.

Both the Nassau County Police Department and the FBI are investigating the missing persons cases. Nassau Police spokeswoman Det. Tracey Cabey said Monday there were no updates in the case.

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com@NicoleFuller

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.