ORLANDO, Fla — 9 Investigates is uncovering another layer in the investigation into the alleged illegal gambling operation involving suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez.
According to her tenants, Ying Zhang, the only co-defendant wanted by law enforcement in this case, is trying to collect rent while law enforcement is looking for her.
Zhang owns Kylin Property Management that operated out of an office in Orlando Chinatown shopping mall on Colonial Drive.
Tenants say instead of paying through the online portal as they typically do, they received emails from Kylin Property Management, telling them to pay to a Zelle account. It’s emails tenants say are suspicious.
This is as Zhang’s former employees say they believe she’s in China.
Ring doorbell video shows an unidentified man posting a notice on the door of a Polk County home.
The notice says the tenants had three days to pay rent or vacate the property.
“I said, why are you putting this notice on my door? He said, ‘well, somebody just sent me to put it on the door,’” said a tenant who did not want to be identified.
Zhang’s management company is responsible to deliver that payment to the homeowner. We found many of the homeowners list mailing addresses out of state.
The tenant says she always pays rent, but when she went to pay July 1, the portal, which they typically submit payments to, no longer existed. Later, she received emails saying to pay to a Zelle account. She says she immediately began asking questions, including if she could pay directly to the homeowner. She even asked if she could speak on the phone with the homeowner, but she says she hasn’t heard back.
“I was very scared that my money would not go to the owner. And then later down the line, I’m getting kicked out with nowhere to go with no money,” said a tenant who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Erika.
Erika says she called the number attached to the Zelle account, and Ying Zhang answered the phone.
We found in a simple Google Search, the number for the Zelle connects to Zhang and also to Kylin Realty.
9 Investigates called the number Friday, but it was disconnected.
Both tenants say Julius Melendez, who is the broker on record for Kylin Property Management, warned them the Zelle request did not come from him.
“He said, ‘Do not pay to Kate’,” the tenant said.
Melendez told us Wednesday he’s still sorting out how these tenants can get money directly to the owners but did tell tenants to hold onto their money in a savings account, according to texts obtained by 9 Investigates.
In the meantime, two tenants reported to law enforcement about the suspicious requests for Zelle payments.
This is as Orange County Sheriff’s Office is also investigating after Melendez filed a police report, alleging Ying Zhang forged his signature and stole his identity through business records.
Jonathan Rose, a criminal defense attorney not tied to this case, says typically in racketeering cases, law enforcement and prosecutors ask the judge to order to freeze bank accounts and other assets believed to be tied to alleged criminal enterprises.
“I would absolutely expect them to have done that at some point, given the alleged nature and length allegedly that the illegal gambling operation was going on,” Rose told 9 Investigates.
Zhang is accused of operating the illegal gambling operation with co-defendants in the case including Lopez.
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