Raleigh Man Convicted in $1M Walmart Gift Card Scam

RALEIGH — A $1 million counterfeit credit card scheme that bled Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across North Carolina has ended in a conviction for Raleigh man PA AMBROSE MENDY, 31. After a two-day trial in federal court, a jury found MENDY guilty on all counts: Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and two counts of Access Device Fraud.

The indictment laid bare the mechanics of a cold, calculated operation. MENDY and nine codefendants allegedly bought stolen credit card data online, encoded it onto blank magnetic-strip cards, and deployed them at Walmart locations statewide. Their target: high-value Walmart gift cards. Over time, they fraudulently purchased more than $1 million in legitimate gift cards using the fake credit cards — a digital heist masked as routine retail.

But the scheme didn’t stop at gift cards. The conspirators then funneled the stolen value into Sam’s Club stores, where they exchanged the Walmart cards for $1 million in cigarettes and stored-value Visa cards — liquid assets, easily fenced for cash. The operation turned big-box retail into a criminal pipeline, exploiting corporate systems and consumer trust.

Prior to trial, several codefendants cracked under pressure, pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering and Aggravated Identity Theft. MENDY, however, chose to fight the charges. His gamble failed. U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle presided as the jury swiftly returned guilty verdicts on every count. The message from the courthouse: federal fraud doesn’t pay.

The case was spearheaded by the United States Secret Service, with support from the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and multiple local law enforcement agencies. At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorneys William M. Gilmore and Melissa Kessler of the Economic Crimes Division built airtight arguments, weaving digital trails, surveillance, and confessions into an inescapable net.

Three co-conspirators remain fugitives: MALAMIN OUSMAN SONKO, SALIFU JALLOW, and ABDOULAIE FRANCIS LOWE NICOLAS. Authorities are offering no leniency. If you know their whereabouts, the U.S. Secret Service urges you to call (919) 855-1052. This case isn’t closed — not while the full network remains unbroken.

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