OGDENSBURG — A 42-year-old Chinese national accused of taking $53,000 from an elderly Ogdensburg woman in an alleged scam remains in federal immigration custody following his arrest by Ogdensburg police, according to federal officials.

Chun Yan, a native and citizen of China who is alleged to have entered the United States illegally from Mexico in 2023, was arrested by the Ogdensburg Police Department March 19 after allegedly traveling from Brooklyn to Ogdensburg as part of a scheme targeting the woman, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo.

According to court documents, Yan traveled approximately six hours from Brooklyn to the woman's Ogdensburg home on Feb. 24.

The woman was allegedly told that a federal agent would freeze her assets if she did not pay the Federal Trade Commission. She subsequently handed over $53,000 in cash to Yan, according to court documents.

Less than a month later, Yan allegedly returned to the woman's home in an attempt to obtain another $50,000.

Ogdensburg police arrested Yan March 19 and charged him with second-degree grand larceny, attempted second-degree grand larceny and fourth-degree conspiracy.

Yan was released by local law enforcement the following day but was then arrested and detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He remains in ICE custody pending removal from the United States.

Yan filed an immigration habeas petition seeking his release. In the petition, he stated that he “was randomly arrested by ICE.”

U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca denied the petition, citing the Laken Riley Act. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the law requires immigration detention for certain individuals who have been arrested for or charged with qualifying crimes at the time of their immigration detention.