Two alleged scam artists were arrested in Cherry Hill Feb. 1, officials said, in a "Black Money" scam that would have swindled unsuspecting victims out of several hundred thousand dollars.

Nyondah L. Blay, 38, of Trenton, and Carl Jenkins, 35, of Philadelphia, were arrested Feb. 1 during a sting operation conducted by the Division of Criminal Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Officials said the defendants allegedly told a victim they had hundreds of thousands of dollars in U.S. currency that was smuggled out of Liberia and dyed black to avoid detection.

Police said the defendants asked the victim to supply several thousand dollars to purchase chemicals to extract the dye from the bills. The victim was allegedly promised their initial investment plus much more.

After allegedly taking the money from the victim, the defendants were arrested in Cherry Hill. "These defendants allegedly preyed upon unsuspecting victims, portraying themselves as refugees who, because of their circumstances, were prepared to offer a deal too good to pass up," Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa said.

Blay and Jenkins were charged with second-degree conspiracy, second-degree theft by deception, third-degree forgery, and third-degree possession of forgery devices.