Rutherford County -- November 13, 2026: Charlotte man is facing felony charges in Rutherford County after allegedly extorting $22,000 in cash from an elderly resident by posing as law enforcement over the phone.
On Nov. 4, 2026, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a family member stating that an elderly man had been targeted in a warrant scam. According to investigators, the victim received a phone call from a man claiming there was an active warrant out for his arrest. The caller threatened that the victim would be taken into custody unless he met the caller in person to pay a bond.
Following the caller's instructions, the victim met the suspect at the Family Dollar in Greenhill and hand-delivered $22,000 in cash.
Rutherford County detectives launched an immediate investigation and identified the suspect as Dong Feng, a Charlotte resident who holds a New York driver’s license.
On Nov. 11, 2026, authorities located and arrested Feng in Cabarrus County. Detectives transported him back to the Rutherford County Detention Center, where he was charged with:
Extortion Charlotte man is facing felony charges in Rutherford County after allegedly extorting $22,000 in cash from an elderly resident by posing as law enforcement over the phone.
On Nov. 4, 2026, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office received a report from a family member stating that an elderly man had been targeted in a warrant scam. According to investigators, the victim received a phone call from a man claiming there was an active warrant out for his arrest. The caller threatened that the victim would be taken into custody unless he met the caller in person to pay a bond.
Following the caller's instructions, the victim met the suspect at the Family Dollar in Greenhill and hand-delivered $22,000 in cash.
Rutherford County detectives launched an immediate investigation and identified the suspect as Dong Feng, a Charlotte resident who holds a New York driver’s license.
On Nov. 11, 2026, authorities located and arrested Feng in Cabarrus County. Detectives transported him back to the Rutherford County Detention Center, where he was charged with:
ExtortionObtaining property by false pretenses
Feng is being held under a $175,000 secured bond, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has placed a detainer on him.
Sheriff’s officials noted that law enforcement agencies across the region are seeing a sharp uptick in phone scams targeting local residents, emphasizing that perpetrators are not always operating from overseas and are often working locally.
Protect Yourself from Warrant Scams The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to stay vigilant and share the following warning signs with family members, particularly older adults:
Law enforcement will never call demanding payment: Deputies and officers will never phone you to demand money to clear a warrant or avoid arrest.
No cash handoffs or crypto ATMs: Authorities will never ask you to hand-deliver cash in a parking lot or deposit funds into a Bitcoin or cryptocurrency ATM to pay a bond or fine.
Verify directly: If you receive a threatening call claiming to be from a local agency, hang up immediately and call the sheriff's office or police department directly using an official, publicly listed phone number.
Anyone who believes they or a loved one may have been targeted by a similar scam is urged to contact he Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office.