Man arrested in undercover fraud operation in Brutus

BRUTUS, NY — Members of the New York State Police in Auburn, along with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, arrested a New York City man following an undercover operation in the town of Brutus, Cayuga County.

Xueyu Luo, 43, of New York City, was arrested Feb. 12, 2026.

The arrest stems from a fraud complaint reported Feb. 11, 2026, by a Weedsport resident who had been scammed out of $18,500 by an individual posing as a “Microsoft” employee.

The victim was instructed to wire funds and was later directed to prepare an additional $22,400 in cash for pickup at his residence.

Through coordinated investigative efforts, State Police orchestrated a controlled operation at the victim’s residence.

At approximately 4:19 p.m. Feb. 12, 2026, Luo arrived at the location operating a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee and approached the residence to retrieve what he believed to be a package containing $22,400 in cash.

Troopers immediately took Luo into custody without incident.

During a search incident to arrest, troopers located approximately eight grams of a substance that field-tested positive for Ketamine on Luo’s person, along with additional suspected Ketamine inside the vehicle.

Luo was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 4th degree, a class C felony, and attempted grand larceny in the 3rd degree, a class D felony.

Luo was processed at SP Auburn and transported to the Cayuga County Jail for CAP arraignment.