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Counterfeit Card Con Artists Plea Guilty
Three men have admitted to using counterfeit bank cards to steal a staggering $103,624.81 from Louisiana casinos.
Shanji Jin, 38, of Chicago, Ill., Hong Xi, 63, of Flushing, N.Y., and Yuan Chunshan, aka, "Guang Li", 43, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty Wednesday (Feb. 27) before U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi to using counterfeit credit cards to fraudulently obtain funds from Louisiana casinos totaling $103,624.81.
According to court documents, authorities arrested Jin, Xi and Chunshan Nov. 24, 2012, at the Coushatta Casino Resort in Kinder for using the counterfeit cards to get cash advances. The counterfeit cards had the defendants’ names on them, but the numbers could not be matched to any of the three men’s accounts with the financial institutions alleged to have issued the credit cards.
They are also responsible for using the cards at L’Auberge Casino in Lake Charles, El Dorado Casino in Shreveport and the Horseshoe Casino in Shreveport. The investigation revealed that Jin took $41,934.55; Xi took $42,394.26; and Li took $19,296.
The defendants face up to 10 years in prison for Conspiracy to Use Unauthorized Access Devices and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing will take place at a later date. The U.S. Secret Service-Baton Rouge Agency and the Louisiana State Police conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Howard Parker is prosecuting the case.
Law enforcement officials have not revealed whether the defendants were working together or individually, but the sheer amount of money stolen suggests a well-organized scam.
The case serves as a reminder that casinos and financial institutions must remain vigilant in detecting and preventing such crimes, which can have a significant impact on the local economy and community.
The guilty pleas bring an end to a lengthy investigation, but it is unclear what led the defendants to use counterfeit cards in the first place.
The U.S. Secret Service-Baton Rouge Agency and the Louisiana State Police will continue to work together to prevent such crimes from occurring in the future.
Key Facts
- State: Louisiana
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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