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18 stand trial on fraud charges tied to cafe

Eighteen people stood trial on charges of fraud on Tuesday, a Beijing court said. The suspects allegedly swindled people out of at least 200,000 yuan ($32,350) by taking them to a cafe between December 2012 and May 2013, where they were charged excessive prices. Luo, the principal suspect and the owner of the cafe, is accused of paying the 17 other defendants, including waitresses and security guards, to befriend people and bring them to the cafe.