Feds move to forfeit nearly $600K seized during Mercer traffic stop

Federal prosecutors have moved to forfeit nearly $600,000 in cash seized by state police as drug proceeds during a September traffic stop in Mercer County.

The U.S. attorney’s office said the money was being transported by two people who repeatedly gave contradictory information about where the money came from and who it belonged to, their relationship, and other details of their travels.

According to a civil forfeiture complaint in U.S. District Court, troopers on Sept. 16 pulled over a Toyota Sienna with New York plates for speeding on Interstate 80 in Findley Township, Mercer County.

The driver produced a Washington license identifying him as Yanchao Peng, of Port Angeles, Wash. The passenger had a New York license identifying her as Siyin Shen, of East Elmhurst, N.Y.

Troopers said they saw a suitcase in the back and suspected drug trafficking. Mr. Peng and Ms. Shen made various statements about where they lived and what they were doing, police said. The minivan was registered to someone else in Flushing, N.Y.

Ms. Shen, who initially said she lived in New York, told troopers that Mr. Peng was her boyfriend and they were driving to Seattle. She said she had rented a hotel room and planned to stay for six days, but she later said she lived in Seattle and they were staying for 15 days.

Ms. Shen also told troopers that she worked at a Manhattan nail salon and that Mr. Peng had moved to Seattle six months earlier. But Mr. Peng later said his address was in Flushing, not Seattle, according to the complaint. Mr. Peng also admitted he didn’t know what Ms. Shen’s job was, despite his claim that they had been dating for more than a year.

When asked who owned the van, the pair provided two names, “Jeff” and “Jimmy,” neither of which matched the registered owner, the complaint said.

Troopers also asked Ms. Shen if she was traveling with a lot of money; she said “just a little.” The two declined to provide consent to troopers to look inside the suitcase, so police called in a drug dog team. The dog detected the smell of narcotics, prosecutors said.

Troopers then looked in the suitcase. Underneath the zippered liners, they found cash bundled with rubber bands.

They asked Ms. Shen how much money was there, and she said “37” and later “45,” according to the complaint.

Ms. Shen also said the money was from her mother and aunt to buy a house. In a later interview by troopers and the Department of Homeland Security, Mr. Peng said $170,000 to $200,000 of the money came from him and his family in China. Ms. Shen then said $300,000 of the money was hers and was a combination of borrowed and saved funds.

Troopers found more cash in a bag under Ms. Shen’s seat, in a Target bag in the middle row of seats, and in handbag on the floor.

They also found a bag filled with coffee beans and boxes of dryer sheets, both often used to mask the odor of narcotics. The total amount of money was later found to be $590,905.