A Chinese national, Donghui Liao, has admitted guilt in a case involving access device fraud in Ocala, Florida. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg. Liao, aged 32, faces charges for possessing more than 15 unauthorized access devices, specifically gift cards. The maximum penalty for this offense is ten years in federal prison, though a sentencing date has not yet been determined.
The plea agreement outlines an organized scheme targeting a large retail store. Individuals involved in the scheme would steal gift cards from the store and obtain account information from them. These altered cards were then resealed and placed back on shelves at different store locations for unsuspecting customers to purchase. Once purchased and loaded with funds by customers, the fraudsters accessed these funds without customer knowledge.
On October 17, 2023, an officer from the Ocala Police Department observed Liao placing numerous gift cards onto a retailer's display while also concealing others in his bag before exiting the store. Upon inspection, seventy-one of these cards showed signs of tampering and forgery. A subsequent search of Liao’s vehicle uncovered an additional 6,032 stolen gift cards with a potential value of $1.886 million if activated by customers.
Surveillance footage confirmed that Liao had executed similar fraudulent activities across various stores located in Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida.
The investigation was conducted by the Ocala Police Department alongside Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg is prosecuting the case.
https://thefederalnewswire.com/stories/667050698-chinese-national-pleads-guilty-to-large-scale-gift-card-fraud