Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Shaohua Sun (DOB 08/20/86), of Monterey Park, CA, and co-defendant Yanwen Gu (DOB 03/20/86) of Rosemead, CA, each pled guilty to felony conspiracy to commit elder abuse. Sun and Gu also admitted to multiple overt acts and special allegations including that the manner in which the crime was committed indicated planning, sophistication, and professionalism, and that the victim was particularly vulnerable. Prior to entering his guilty plea on May 7, 2026, Sun surrendered $25,000, representing full restitution in this case. Gu pled guilty on May 11, 2026.
“Thanks to the outstanding investigative work and quick coordination by the Ventura Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, these defendants were stopped before they could further exploit a vulnerable senior citizen,” District Attorney Nasarenko said. “These scams are designed to prey on fear and isolation, and they can happen to anyone. We encourage families, neighbors, and caregivers to regularly check in with the elderly members of our community and remind them to never hand over money.”
On March 18, 2026, a local senior citizen received a text message instructing him to confirm an alleged $350 Apple Store purchase using his credit card. This text message included a phone number directing the senior to call “immediately.” Once on the phone, an unidentified co-conspirator falsely claimed the elder victim’s local credit union account was linked to supposed child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) content based in Canada. The elder victim was then directed to call a telephone number supposedly belonging to the “Ventura County Credit Union Fraud Department.” The caller, identifying herself as “Jade,” instructed the victim to immediately withdraw $25,000 in cash and meet a purported undercover police officer in the City of Ventura to surrender the funds as “evidence.” During this phone call, the elder victim was provided a “code phrase” to recite to the alleged undercover officer at the meeting prior to handing over the $25,000 in cash. Unfortunately, …