NEW HAVEN, CT – A pair of New York schemers learned the hard way this week that ripping off the American consumer doesn’t pay. YANG-SHI LIN, 31, of Flushing, and MEI BAO LU, 31, also of Flushing, received federal prison sentences in New Haven for their roles in a sophisticated credit card fraud ring that stretched across the East Coast. The duo preyed on unsuspecting consumers, racking up nearly $179,000 in fraudulent purchases.
Chief U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall handed down a 12-month and one-day sentence to Lin, followed by two years of supervised release. Lu, identified as the ringleader, received an 18-month sentence and will also be under supervised release for three years. The sentences come after both men pleaded guilty to one count of access device fraud and aiding and abetting. U.S. Attorney John H. Durham announced the sentencing, a culmination of a multi-state investigation.
Between 2014 and September 2015, Lu orchestrated the scheme, supplying “buyers” with counterfeit credit cards created from stolen card information. These cards were then used to purchase gift cards and high-end merchandise at retail stores in Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Lu then fenced the stolen goods, selling them at a discount on the black market. The operation was brazen, utilizing a staggering 120 counterfeit cards issued by 18 different financial institutions.
The investigation kicked off in February 2015 after the Clinton Police Department received a flurry of complaints from residents reporting unauthorized charges. A common thread quickly emerged: many of the victims had dined at the same Clinton restaurant within a two-week period, pointing to a potential skimming operation. The scope of the fraud quickly expanded as investigators linked the activity to multiple states. Authorities discovered an additional 333 stolen card numbers on thumb drives belonging to Lu and Lin – cards that hadn’t even been used yet, representing further potential losses.
Lu was finally apprehended on September 3, 2016, in Barboursville, West Virginia, after being caught red-handed attempting to make fraudulent purchases with counterfeit cards at a local mall. A federal warrant had been issued for his arrest on August 18, 2015. Lin was arrested shortly after, on August 20, 2015. Both men were ordered to report to prison on March 7, 2018. Several other members of Lu’s crew have already faced justice, with convictions secured in state and federal courts across Maine, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia.
The case was a collaborative effort, led by Homeland Security Investigations and the Clinton Police Department, with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service, and police departments in Millburn (N.J.), New York City, New York State, Acton (Mass.), and Barboursville (W. Va.). Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel prosecuted the case, bringing the perpetrators to account for their calculated and widespread financial crimes. This case serves as a stark reminder that those who profit from stolen identities will face the full force of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Connecticut
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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