SACRAMENTO, CA (FOX40) — Xianquing Chen, 45, and Haining He, 31, were arrested on Saturday by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) in connection with an organized retail theft operation at Target on Fulton Avenue in Arden-Arcade.
According to SCSO, Chen and He were observed using a phone-based application to purchase gift cards in multiple transactions. Chen attempted to use 42 different bank cards, 32 of which were declined, before successfully completing a purchase totaling $855. Similarly, He tried using 47 bank cards, with 37 being declined, but managed to finalize purchases totaling $633.
Detectives recognized the pattern of behavior as a method commonly used by credit card thieves to launder stolen funds. Chen and He later admitted to purchasing the gift cards using stolen credit card information, which was provided to them by an individual who paid them $250 per day for their involvement.
Both men, who are citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were arrested and booked into Sacramento County Main Jail for several felonies. They are ineligible for bail and are scheduled to appear in court on March 18. Authorities are concerned that the pair may have committed similar crimes at other retail stores in the region.
The investigation is still ongoing, and SCSO is asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357.
