Naples, Fla. — Two Latvian men, Kirils Gula and Maksims Slapins, were arrested in Naples on Wednesday after confessing their involvement in a large-scale gift card fraud operation spanning several Florida cities.
The Naples Police Department’s investigation began when detectives observed Gula and Slapins acting suspiciously near the gift card section at a local Walgreens store. Their behavior appeared to be abnormal, leading officers to suspect they were engaged in criminal activity. The two men were seen attempting to conceal items as they wandered through the store.
The detectives’ suspicions grew when Gula and Slapins were seen driving to a nearby Publix. After parking in a secluded spot, they entered the store and exited without making any purchases. This behavior repeated at a second Walgreens location, prompting officers to investigate further.
On conducting a traffic stop due to the expired tag on their vehicle, Gula initially claimed to have no identification, stating he had been in the United States for only 30 days. However, investigations revealed he had been in the country for approximately four months. Eventually, Gula presented his Latvian passport, and officers were given permission to search the vehicle.
Inside the vehicle, authorities discovered multiple gift cards with receipts indicating they had been purchased using various debit cards. Additionally, officers found a cooler bag containing 176 more gift cards, valued at about $15,000, which were marked with addresses showing the locations they had been stolen from.
Upon questioning, both men admitted to participating in a larger fraud operation that spanned across multiple Florida cities, including Miami, Tampa, and Jacksonville. They explained that the scheme involved stealing gift cards, replacing their barcodes with fraudulent ones, and returning them to store shelves. After unsuspecting customers purchased and activated the cards, the funds were redirected to a criminal syndicate’s bank account.
Both Gula and Slapins were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud and participating in a scheme to defraud. Gula was also charged with driving without a license.
The arrest marks a significant bust in an ongoing investigation into fraudulent activities impacting retail stores across the state.
