Hickory Ridge Estates is a small, shaded neighborhood on a half loop in West Des Moines, filled with manicured shrubs, brick mailboxes and copper lawn sculptures and homes tipping over $1 million in value. The neighborhood is home to doctors, judges, lawyers, pharmacists, a vice president of financial planning, a chief operating officer, a chief executive officer and — apparently — 17 new furniture companies. There’s Cirota Furniture, helmed by Ju Zhou, the company’s president, secretary, treasurer and registered agent. There’s Fringo Furniture, run by Guan Yang, who holds the same wide-ranging responsibilities. And there’s Gorgy Furniture, operated by Pengzhou Yang. Zhou and the two Yangs don’t live in Hickory Ridge Estates, despite listing their businesses’ home offices as being in the neighborhood. The formation of those companies shocked homeowners. They wondered if a con artist was behind the filings. And if so, they wondered, what scheme was in the air? Tap the link in our bi...