NEW YORK (AP) - A 44-year-old woman has been charged in Brooklyn with stealing $160,000 in cash and gold jewelry from two Chinese immigrants in an elaborate scam by convincing them there was a curse on their families.
Prosecutors say Xuekun Su (SHWAY’-koon SOO’), of China, was arraigned Thursday on larceny charges as a hate crime. It wasn’t clear if she has a lawyer who could comment on her behalf.
Prosecutors say the woman told the separate victims she was a clairvoyant. They said she convinced them she could remove the fatal curse if they gathered all their cash and jewelry together in a bag to be blessed.
After the bags were blessed, the victims later discovered the cash and jewelry were gone.
If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison.
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