2 Accused of Plotting $200K Gold Bar Scam on 85-Year-Old DC Man
Two people are accused of attempting to scam more than $200,000 in gold bars from an 85-year-old man in Washington, DC, according to WJLA.
In brief
Two people face accusations of trying to steal more than $200,000 in gold bars from an 85-year-old man in Washington, DC. The alleged scheme targeted an elderly resident in what authorities are treating as a serious elder fraud case, according to a report by WJLA.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Two individuals are accused of attempting to scam an 85-year-old DC man out of more than $200,000 in gold bars.
The alleged scheme represents a targeted elder fraud attempt in the nation's capital.
Gold bar scams have emerged as a known tactic used against elderly Americans across the country.
What We Know About the Alleged DC Gold Bar Scam
According to WJLA, two individuals have been accused in connection with the scheme, which allegedly targeted an 85-year-old Washington, DC resident. The reported value of the gold bars at the center of the alleged fraud exceeds $200,000. Beyond those core details, the initial report does not identify the accused by name, specify the charges filed, or describe how the scheme was carried out.
Gold bar scams have been flagged by federal consumer protection authorities as an increasingly common method used to defraud older Americans. The Federal Trade Commission has documented cases in which scammers convince elderly victims to liquidate savings and convert funds into gold bars, which are then handed directly to a courier — making the money nearly impossible to recover.
Elder Fraud in Washington, DC: A Serious and Growing Concern
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Washington, DC's elderly population faces disproportionate exposure to financial fraud schemes. The U.S. Department of Justice's Elder Justice Initiative identifies financial exploitation as one of the most prevalent and underreported forms of elder abuse in the country. Schemes involving gold, wire transfers, and gift cards have grown more sophisticated, with perpetrators often posing as government officials, utility workers, or law enforcement.
The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) also tracks elder fraud complaints nationally and encourages victims and witnesses to file reports directly through their portal.
Why This Matters in Washington
DC is home to a significant senior population across neighborhoods from Capitol Hill to Chevy Chase to Brightwood. Schemes that prey on elderly residents strike at some of the District's most vulnerable communities. Local law enforcement and federal agencies operating in DC — including the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI's Washington Field Office — treat elder financial fraud as a priority. Cases like this one serve as a reminder that fraud targeting seniors is not limited to phone calls and email inboxes; it can escalate into large-scale, in-person schemes involving significant assets.
For more on how power, crime, and policy intersect in the District, see WDCM's DC Politics Guide 2026 and our coverage under Politics.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a gold bar scam?
A gold bar scam is a form of elder fraud in which criminals convince victims — often elderly — to withdraw large sums of money, purchase gold bars, and hand them over to a courier under a false pretext, such as a fake government investigation or a fabricated emergency.
How much money was allegedly involved in this DC case?
According to WJLA, the alleged scheme targeted more than $200,000 worth of gold bars belonging to an 85-year-old Washington, DC man.
Who are the two people accused?
The WJLA report does not name the two accused individuals. Further details about their identities, charges, or legal status were not included in the initial report.
Where can DC residents report elder fraud?
DC residents can report suspected elder financial fraud to the Metropolitan Police Department, the DC Office on Aging, or directly to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. The FTC also accepts reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Is gold bar fraud common in Washington, DC?
Gold bar scams have been documented across the United States and are flagged by the FTC and DOJ as an emerging method of elder financial exploitation. Whether DC has seen a specific cluster of such cases beyond this report is not confirmed by available information.
The bottom line: Two people stand accused of targeting an 85-year-old Washington, DC man in a scheme allegedly involving more than $200,000 in gold bars, according to WJLA. The case underscores the real danger elder fraud poses in the District and the need for residents, families, and neighbors to stay alert to these evolving tactics.
What to watch next: Follow developments in this case as charges and identities of the accused are made public. Watch also for any response from DC law enforcement or the DC Office on Aging regarding elder fraud prevention efforts in the District.
Reporting drawn from: WJLA. Washington DC Magazine provides original analysis, DC-specific context, and editorial perspective beyond the source material.This article was produced with AI assistance and reviewed by WDCM editorial staff. Washington DC Magazine is committed to accuracy, transparency, and editorial integrity. If you believe any information in this article requires correction, please contact editor@washingtondcmagazine.com.
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
